Charming Possibilities
by thatsyou
Summary: Sometimes change is good. Updated 12/2/2011. Chapter 29 and 30 now up!
1. Another Man

Title: Charming Possibilities – Part 1

Author:

Rating: PG-13

Length: 3.330 words

Summary: Christmas is a time for miracles, or _not?!_

Pairings: Tony/Pepper, Pepper/OOC, Tony/OOC

Warnings: Heavy angst.

Part One

It all started on the 23rd of December at the annual Stark Industries Christmas party. Many important people gathered at the formal event held at the company's headquarters that evening.

Pepper thought that she'd been the best choice after all. Tony Stark didn't trust many people, but he trusted her and that was enough. She ran his company for about five years – indirectly, of course, but Tony was a careless man. He thought that the meetings were boring and unimportant for a person who is much more important than anything else in the universe.

Right now, three members of the board of directors approached her. One of them was holding a glass of scotch in his right hand and the smell of it reminded her of Tony.

Tony… well, he was supposed to come at the party, but there was no sign of him so far.

The three men were completely casual about everything. They didn't ask her much and they were polite. They were in the middle of a discussion about the arc reactor development when she excused herself and told them that she was supposed to give a speech within the next minutes.

The speech was about how people should celebrate Christmas with their family and how these holidays were meant to be enjoyed by everyone.

By the time she finished her speech Tony made his appearance followed by a small group of horny females whom he'd slept with before Afghanistan. They didn't let him breathe until Happy, his bodyguard and chauffeur showed up and got rid of them.

His eyes found hers and she swallowed hard a bit when he reached her.

"How's my favorite CEO doing?" He asked and sat up on a stool at the bar.

Pepper smiled. He always teased her like that, but she liked it. It was their usual banter anyway.

"I'm doing great. How about you? " She replied and sat on another stool.

"Fine." He replied in a rush and clenched his jaw. "Do you want something to drink?"

She blinked at him, surprised by his question, but she nodded a little.

She turned her attention towards the dance floor and saw a few couples dancing. It reminded her of the night they both shared an uncomfortable dance, full of lingering glances and hungry touches…

Her eyes caught another pair boring straight into hers from the other end of the hall. Pepper frowned deeply and tried to figure out if she had seen that pair of honey brown eyes before, but she couldn't. The man kept her gaze for another few seconds before she lowered hers to the martini glass in front of her.

She blinked hard, fighting a shiver. She recognized those eyes because she'd seen them before. She had met that man somewhere. She just couldn't put her fingers on it.

"Is this what you've asked me to bring you, Pepper?" Tony's voice shot through the haze she was currently in.

"Excuse me, what?" She looked at him with unfocused eyes and then back at the drink.

It was indeed a very dry vodka martini with three olives. She looked down at it in bewilderment and tried to focus on what Tony was saying.

"Pepper, are you okay?" She'd better answer him because dammit, he sounds pretty worried.

"Oh – yes. I'm fine, Mr. Stark. Just a little tired, I guess."

She took a small sip from her glass and sighed a little. She felt better now that he got her that drink… When she looked back at him he had his eye-brow up and his eyes were staring at her moistened lips. She licked them and blushed, her cheeks and neck reddening further when he whistled slowly.

"Let's dance." He said and got up to his feet, holding his hand up to her and waiting for her to take it.

She slowly shook her head in sign of 'no' and took another sip from her vodka martini.

"Come on, Pep." He coaxed her gently. "You know that I'm a better antidote than the drink in your hand."

She considered for a few seconds – like, _really _considered it, but she didn't want the scene from the Firemen's Benefit to repeat, so she finished her drink and smirked at him.

"Maybe later." She told him sweetly, turned on her high heels and left him there with his mouth slightly open.

She didn't know why she said that because she wouldn't let him near her again. It was hard enough to keep her distance now, after just a couple of months after her promotion. It was hard because she didn't see him all that much now – she saw him just a few times a month when he'd concede to attend a meeting.

Anyway, there were better ways to _not _think about him that night. She planned to find the man whose eyes captured hers. She had a feeling that it won't be a long search, though.

She was right in the end. A handsome, tall man with honey brown eyes and light brown hair and with a charming smile introduced himself as Sean Williams. His lips were warm and soft against her hand and his touch was downright addictive. She told herself not to get too deep into this because she still didn't know whether or not she wanted to have an official relationship. She had waited for Tony to make the first step, but as months passed and nothing came she began to search for another man. A man who could make her happy despite the fact that she still loved her former boss very much… He wasn't Tony, that was certain, but he was very handsome and he had a very good sense of humor. He was dressed in a black Armani suit, complete with a black tie.

He looked… delicious. Pepper couldn't remember one time when she felt like that with another man.

"Would you like to dance, Virginia?"

It was going to be different, but as his warm hand took hers and the other went around her waist she let herself dream. He smelled totally different from the man she was used to, but that was okay. She carefully placed her hand on his upper arm and smiled at him warmly.

"So…" He started and gave her a shy smile. "You're the big CEO now, huh?"

Pepper took a deep breath and responded back.

"Kind of." She admitted with a small laugh. "How about you? Where do you work?"

"I'm a doctor." He replied casually and swirled her around. "I've just been transferred from New York here."

"That's nice." Pepper looked around, hoping that no one familiar would catch her dancing with the handsome new doctor.

"Thank you. Hey, would you like to talk more over a drink or something?" He raised an inquiring brow at her and waited for her answer.

But Pepper's attention was not on him anymore. She had just spotted a _very _familiar face watching her intently from another group of males. Rhodey was there too, she realized. But it wasn't him that bothered her the most. It was the furious look in Tony's eyes that made her flinch.

She pretended not to have seen him and she turned her attention back to the man holding her in his arms.

"Sure." She told him simply and broke away from his grasp.

A couple of hours later, after another two drinks and a few interesting facts, Pepper excused herself to go to the bathroom. Sean politely accepted and told her that he would be waiting for her outside.

She checked her make-up twice in the mirror before washing her hands and heading towards the exit. There were a few more meters before she reached the exit when a hand grabbed her forearm. She gasped softly and looked at Tony with an inquiring look.

"Really now, Pepper? No dance?" He said and tugged her slightly towards the dance floor, but she politely peeled his fingers off her forearm and looked him in the eye.

"I guess I'm not in the mood." Came her sly reply.

She saw how his Adam's apple bobbed and how his eyes broke off hers. The silence was a bit awkward and she looked at him, silently wishing he wouldn't have seen her dancing with Sean.

"All right. Nice party, Potts." He told her and took a few steps back, his smile a fake one.

She couldn't blame him… seriously.

"See you other time." He offered and went back to Rhodey.

She didn't waste any time as she walked outside, her stilettos clicking sharply against the concrete. Part of her hoped that Sean was waiting for her, and another part of her didn't want to hurt Tony. But then she remembered all those times when he had ran off with bimbos hanging off each of his arms and then she _decided. _

To her surprise, Sean was leaning on the door of a black Mercedes – his car, she supposed. Hm… What is it with men and made in Germany cars?

She decided not to ask as she took his extended hand while he helped her get inside. His car smelled like pine and she inhaled deeply before he got inside himself and buckled his seatbelt.

"I don't usually drive like a madman, but if you're in a hurry I can speed things up a bit." He tapped the steering wheel with his thumb and turned on the CD player. An old song began playing and Pepper recognized it immediately.

It was Michael Bolton's 'Can I touch you there'. Pepper could feel heat rising up to her cheeks as the song continued playing.

"Nice song, huh?" He asked with a grin when he noticed the blush in on her face.

"One of my favorites, actually." She replied and looked in the mirror at her right. She froze as she saw Tony standing in the parking lot, staring blankly at Sean's black Mercedes disappearing out of his sight.

She wondered briefly how and if he'd make it home that night.

"I was gonna ask you if you'd like to give me your number, you know… we could get together sometimes."

Pepper had to smile at that, even though her heart felt heavy. She quickly wrote her number on the back of her business card and by the time she finished, they were in the front of her small house in the Hollywood hills. It was a very classy looking house with big glass windows and a modern architectural style.

She recently bought it because the apartment she lived in before she had been named as CEO belonged to the company. Even with the substantial one hundred thousand dollars a week she still wasn't into extravaganzas. The house itself cost about one and a half and it was no where near as big as Tony's.

Anyway it wasn't _that _important. The man at her left was more important right now, but she simply ignored the nagging voice inside her head that told her that she should kiss him because oh god – it's been so long since she kissed someone.

"It was a pleasure meeting you." She told him with a hidden smile, knowing that the chemistry between them was just about the right amount.

He smiled back, took her hand and kissed it, lingering with his lips pressed against her warm skin.

"It was nice to meet you, too, Virginia." Pepper grinned at the sound of her real name and took the opportunity to slide her hand from his.

She hesitated for a mere second before kissing him lightly, revealing in the feel of it. It had been a long time since she'd done something this – _spontaneous. _It was unlike her, but it felt too good to stop.

It was a few seconds after until she backed away, another blush spreading across her face and neck.

"What are you doing on Christmas?" He whispered and looked at her lips.

Who would have thought that she would have gotten so lucky in just one evening?

"I usually drink a glass of red wine and respond to emails." She told him lamely.

She expected him to laugh, but he didn't. He stroked her chin delicately and looked intently into her eyes.

"Would you like to uh… have plans with me?"

A flash-back of Tony alone, draining a bottle of scotch on the floor of his workshop made her wince.

"I'll call you." She finished with a sweet smile.

"All right, uh… Pepper. That's your nickname, isn't it? I heard Tony Stark calling you like that a couple of times this evening."

"You did?" Pepper asked incredulously.

"Yes. He's actually not that frightening."

Pepper laughed and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Not when he's not inside his suit, anyway. And by the way – yes, Pepper is my nickname and everyone calls me like that. I promise I won't be mad if you call me like that."

Sean grinned and pressed a kiss to her red lips.

She wanted so much more. She wanted to just forget about Tony and let Sean kiss her the way she knew he wanted to, and let him take her inside and make love to her. It's been _way _too long since she'd done that. She was too damn busy trying to run Tony Stark's world when he'd been kidnapped.

And hell, even after he came home. The fact that he'd announced that he was Iron Man got things even more complicated.

"Have a good night, Pepper." He whispered when she found herself outside his car. She didn't remember opening the door, but anyway…

"Good night."

That night she barely slept. The lights on her Christmas tree created shadows on the white walls and she couldn't close one eye. She knew that abandoning Tony on Christmas was somehow the worst sin, but she remembered that he hadn't really asked for anything regarding how she would spend her Christmas.

She was half sure that he would summon the courage to show up at a party or something. Half of her wanted him to get as drunk as the old Tony Stark did, and sleep with dozens of bimbos. Anything just to take his mind off her…

But she knew he wouldn't. He didn't attend one single orgy since he came back home from Afghanistan. Why would he do it now?

She managed to fall asleep half-way through the night and she slept until noon.

It surprised the hell out of her to see how many calls she got from Tony that morning. Due to the fact that her phone was off she didn't hear him calling.

An hour later, her phone rang once again and she answered from the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Tony."

"Oh – hi."

"Hi, Pepper. Were you asleep or something that you didn't answer my calls?"

He sounded genuinely concerned and a tad bit of pissed off. It wasn't unexpected.

"As a matter of fact, I was. I only now saw how many calls I got from you. Are you all right?"

"Yeah – fine. Super fine, actually." Pepper frowned at the use of the 'super' word. "Just came back from a mission. How 'bout you?"

She put the phone on speaker and went to her kitchen to make herself a sandwich.

"Just got out from bed."

She heard him sigh deeply and she frowned again. What is it wrong with him?

"Nice touch there. I can practically picture yourself in all your pure nudity."

"Tonyyyyy!!!" She squeaked and dropped her knife on the marble floor.

"What? A man can dream, right?"

"Sure, Tony. Whatever makes you feel better about yourself."

"Right…"

"Why'd you call?" She asked him softly. "Truth, please."

She knew his usual way when they were chatting on the phone. He usually called her when he was bored, but this time it was a bit weird because he hadn't called her since a couple of months.

"I was wondering if you had plans for… you know…" He sounded really sheepish.

"Christmas?" She finished for him.

"That's the one!"

She chewed slowly at her sandwich, thinking about how she should answer him. In all truth she really wanted to spend Christmas with him, but she didn't think she'd have the courage to kiss him – the same way she did with Sean last night.

"So… you're busy, huh?"

This time he sounded like he knew what preposition Sean made to her last night.

"A little, actually." She admitted with a small sigh.

"No problems then. I just thought I should check, 'cause you're busy, Platypus's busy…. Everyone's busy. Just _not _me."

"Tony… I…"

"Just like I said – no problems. I have Jarvis here, my old buddy." A tear slipped Pepper's eye when she realized how pathetic he truly was. "No more questions, Pep. Have a nice Christmas and I guess I'll be seeing you before New Years, but anyway, even if I won't… you know… happy everything! Bye."

He hung up then. A few more bitter tears fell down her cheeks and soaked into her t-shirt before she got her cell and phoned Sean.

It wasn't fair, but hell, she couldn't be with Tony. It wouldn't worth all those nights she would spend awake – worried as hell when he'd be on a mission. It really wouldn't worth at all.

The next day she woke up early and started preparing a few meals. She hadn't cooked in a few weeks, and she really needed something to keep her mind busy. Even after she finished cooking and decorating her kitchen she still felt like she needed to do something else.

She went into her basement and retrieved a bottle of red wine. She let it get warm in the kitchen until she went to the bathroom to let the water flood the tub. She poured in some special oils until soap buds started to form.

She got naked and walked into her kitchen. She took a wine glass from the cupboard and poured a right amount into the glass. Then she glanced at the clock and realized it would take Sean maybe half an hour to arrive. No hurry…

Pepper quickly went back into the bathroom and probed the water with her fingers. It was hot enough and she slid into the tub with a small moan. It felt perfect and she began to relax as she sipped from her glass.

She hadn't realized that more than half an hour passed until there was a slight knock on her bathroom door. She gasped and tried to cover the inappropriate parts with bubbles.

"Come in."

Sean opened the door and slid in without saying anything.

"Is this my Christmas gift?" He asked with a grin and tried not to look at her, even though it was obvious what her nakedness did to him.

"If you want it to be." She replied back and motioned for him to come closer.

He leaned in and kissed her deeply, fighting back a moan when she used her tongue to lick his lower lip.

"Get naked and get inside. Pardon the pun." She laughed at herself and took another sip from her wine.

He did as told and slid into the warm water opposite her.

He looked dazed if not anything else as her hand trailed across his leg. She needed to stop and feel – it didn't matter that the man she loved the most was alone and probably drinking himself into oblivion right then. It would hurt the same, she reasoned as his lips took hers in a passionate kiss.

What she did not know was the fact that Tony wasn't drinking himself into oblivion. He preferred to attend that whore party, anyway. If he couldn't have her, then he'd have to choose someone else for the night…

**TBC**


	2. Many Other Women

Charming Possibilities – Part Two

Rating: R (language and adult situations)

Part Two

The morning of the 26th found Tony blissfully exhausted in his bed. If there weren't two warm figures sleeping soundly and using his chest as a pillow, he would have said that he was dreaming. But he was pretty much awake and the possibility of remembering what happened the previous night vanished along with the throb inside his head.

He collapsed his head back against the pillows and closed his eyes tightly, a sense of guilt washing over him. What did he _do _last night? He remembered that he was really mad at the fact that Pepper decided to turn him down cold, _again, _and spend her Christmas away from him. It wasn't just _that. _He saw her leaving the Christmas party with an unknown man - a very handsome man with manners and all of that, things that weren't even memorized in his vocabulary.

The worst part was that he couldn't remember whether or not he slept with the women cuddled around him. Oh, heck. What if he did, after all? He'd been craving for a blowjob for the last year or so. And they felt really wonderful – warm and so sensually wrapped around him.

He slowly opened one eye to peek at them and he gasped in astonished delight. They were both red-heads with freckles. The guilt inside him grew just a little. He swallowed hard and wrapped both his arms around their freckled shoulders, silently praying that he wouldn't get accustomed to them. He closed his eyes then and fell back asleep.

A couple of hours later he was startled awake by the feel of a hand on his thigh, dangerously close to his manhood, but as the hand passed towards his chest he realized that he still had on his boxer briefs. He opened his eyes and was surprised when a hand came to stop on his arc reactor.

Tony smiled a bit shyly at them and fought a shiver when the hand resting on his arc stroked the puckered skin around it.

One of them tilted his chin towards her face and kissed him slowly and passionately. He groaned inside her mouth because then feel of her lips was too much. He hadn't kissed a woman since Christine Everhart, for Christ's sake. Of course that he'd had numerous occasions to kiss women since then, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He broke the kiss and looked at her lips with hunger, his eyes glimmering with lust.

"Hey, beautiful…" He said with an unmoving gaze.

The other woman started to place kisses aimless little kisses on his neck and jaw, arousing him even further. He could feel himself getting hard and he cursed himself for being so weak. He thought that he could stop them before they even started, but somehow he didn't want to do that.

But when their hands reached inside his briefs and grabbed the hardness that was him he decided to quit fighting.

The Hollywood Hills home was quiet. Its occupant was asleep inside her bed and she was _alone. _For the first time in all these years – in all these years she'd known Tony – she had done something incredibly wrong. She didn't think it was wrong that she had slept with Sean. She had been a little tipsy, she had to admit, but in all truth she needed that. She needed the comfort of a man's embrace more than anything else. She regretted the fact that she had hurt Tony.

It was not the first time she did that, but she knew she should have been more personable with him on _Christmas _because she knew how he used to spend every single Christmas when she had been his assistant. He drank a lot and combined lots and lots of drinks until he passed out. The next morning she would find him on the floor of his workshop with a puddle of alcohol around him and he would smell like he'd just been inside of a brewery.

Of course that Sean had to leave at eight sharp because he had an emergency at the hospital and he needed to stay there till the 27th. She had fallen asleep in his embrace last night after they made love and she had woken up when he had gotten up and started to put his clothes back on. He had told her that if she needed anything she could give him a call and even if she won't, he would call her when his shift ended.

The sheets were cold and she got up, trying to find her phone.

After the two women finished exhausting him properly once again, Tony dressed quickly and explained them that he didn't usually call back after they've had sex. The red-heads nodded and kissed him playfully before heading out the door.

Tony smirked while he thought about what happened just an hour ago and went downstairs. He would need a cigar and a glass of scotch… desperately.

A few minutes passed as he drank in silence until Jarvis told him that Pepper needed to talk to him.

"Huh? Yeah, put her through." He told his AI.

"Hello, Tony." She whispered.

"Hi, Potts." He greeted back.

"I just called because I was worried, you know?"

Tony almost chocked with his drink as he struggled to regain his breath.

"About what?" He asked nonchalantly.

He blinked heavily when he heard her sigh, and he bit his lip.

"You seem sober." She told him with a heavy heart. "I thought you might… exaggerate with the drinking. Again."

"Nope. I've had nothing, Pep. I promise." He just didn't say how much fun he had last night… and this morning.

"All right then. I-I have to go." She murmured softly and he sighed heavily.

The hole in his chest got bigger when she heard her small sigh. Again…

"Potts, are you all right?" He asked.

"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be all right?"

_I don't know… You seem just a bit off._

He didn't say that either.

"Dunno. See ya."

"Bye."

He stared at the glass in his hand with disgust, stood up and headed towards the shower. He would need it since the smell of those women was still imprinted inside his skin.

"Good ol' Stark is back on the business." He told himself while he stroked his abs.

He would need to look charming tonight because he was planning on another sex-capade. He really thought about talking a beautiful woman into a real relationship. It might work, he mused.

That night he showed up at an exclusive club. He was dressed terribly expensive. His dark suit was expensive, along with his light green shirt and a stripped dark green tie. Even his shoes were terribly expensive. Pretty much everything he wore was.

He sat down at a table and ordered a glass of scotch. It was his weakness nowadays. He searched through the crowd of dancing people while he drank it and saw a beautiful red-head who looked like she was alone.

Grinning madly he made his way towards her and when he reached her she smiled knowingly at him.

_This would be fun. _

She couldn't resist his charm for too long. He was balls-deep inside of her just half an hour later inside the toilet. It didn't matter – nothing mattered anymore. He just kept his nose buried into her soft, ginger hair while he pounded into her with short, deep thrusts.

He could barely contain the scream inside his throat when he came deep inside of her. He pulled out of her body with a groan and he left her there, panting, inside the clean toilet, but not before pressing a one hundred dollar bill into her hand.

He cried out softly when he heard her whispering behind him '_I'm not a whore'_, but he continued walking until he was out of the club in the darkness of the night.

Not three minutes after he found another group of red-heads willing to give him a good time. _I'm fucked up in the head right now. I shouldn't be doing this. _

But he did. It wasn't what he wanted, but it was better than not having Pepper.

In the morning the newspapers would print out on the first page '_Iron Man and four red-heads making out in a parking lot'._

And the article…

_Tony Stark, Iron Man himself caught by the paparazzi in a parking lot smooching with four hot red-heads. People at the location report that they waited for maybe a half an hour until Stark's personal limousine arrived and took them to a nearby hotel where they stayed for approximately three hours. _

"I need to be more careful next time." He told himself as he read the article for the tenth time that morning. "And I'd really like to see Pepper's reaction."

**TBC** – Review please!


	3. Shattered Dream

Charming Possibilities – Part Three

Rating: R (language and non-explicit sex)

Part Three

Pepper Potts couldn't believe what she just read. She simply refused to believe what the newspapers said about her former boss. She threw the newspaper in the trash and sat down on her sofa, crying silently into her hands. She knew she shouldn't cry because whatsoever _she _was the one who turned him down countless times. But it wasn't _just _the fact that he started sleeping around with women – again – no… it was the fact that he purposefully _made out _with four fucking red-heads.

She knew he didn't choose them at random. She just didn't have a single clue about what was happening inside his head nowadays. Her dream of being with him disappeared just like that since he decided to make her CEO out of nowhere. They could have been together after that, but they haven't seen each other all that much and their relationship cooled down after just a couple of months.

She craved for his presence every day. She _craved _for his touch and she needed his voice to comfort her whenever she felt she couldn't take it anymore…

But she really needed to _stop _thinking about him and the fact that he apparently returned to his old habits. She needed to forget every single memory of the two of them together. Even though she often day dreamed about the two of them together deep beneath the covers as he moved atop of her, slow and secure, his warm body hard and alive against hers.

She should stop crying – _pronto._

On the other hand, Tony felt like he needed to drink something. Out of desperation he grabbed a bottle of vodka and gulped down half of it in a few minutes. The next day was supposed to be the first official day of the New Year and he had no plans. He figured out that he should go out with someone…. A red-head probably, since they pleased him so damn much.

_If Pepper hears about this she'll be wrecked. Since when did I get so damn picky? _

Since he started to develop deep feelings for his former PA…

Suddenly a bright idea popped up inside his head. He would need to call Natalie, his assistant, even though it was her day-off…

"Natalie?" He asked as she picked from the first call.

"May I remind you that this is my day-off, Mr. Stark?"

Tony chuckled at his assistant. She was a red-head too. Red-heads had a fiery temper, he knew that.

"Yeah, I know…" He mumbled. "I need you to throw a party."

He could swear that the woman at the other end of the line hissed. He didn't know whether she hissed in delight or in fury, but it was less important now.

"Why in _hell _did you figure out that you needed to throw a damn party now, Mr. Stark?" She sounded positively angry.

"Since tomorrow it's the last day of the year. Should have figured it out sooner." He pointed out more for himself.

"Great. When, where and who do you want on the guest list?"

He heard a muffled sound and he supposed that his assistant grabbed her PDA for notes.

"Well… I won't go anywhere outside my mansion. That's for sure."

"Right…"

"Is it too early if I say seven o'clock?" Tony slurred.

"Not at all. Are you drunk?"

"A little." He responded and hiccuped slightly. "You know what? I want all the possible red-heads who're willing to have sex with me, okay?"

"All of them?" She repeated.

"Well, yes and no. Don't write Potts in there. She won't have sex with me, like, let's say… a million years." He laughed then, the bitterness of it reaching deep into his soul.

"All right… Let me handle this."

He would, of course.

Everything was ready the next day. The guest list contained twenty-six women – red-heads, as Tony specifically ordered – and of course, four strawberry-blondes who looked just like Pepper. Natalie knew that something was going on between her boss and his former assistant, but she didn't like to intrude, so she shut up and just watched them. It was clearly that Tony had some deep feelings for Virginia Potts.

This time _something _was really wrong. He hadn't ordered even _once _women since she'd been his assistant.

It shouldn't concern her, but it does. She knew that he had changed, _a lot_, she might add. She had read many articles about him and his habits – kinks, even. But that was before he was kidnapped, not now. Iron Man was often on the first page on every newspaper in the city, but what he did were good things, not bad like now.

"Nat?" Tony asked with a raised eye-brow.

"Boss?" She countered and dropped her purse and keys on the kitchen counter.

"How 'bout you stay as well?"

She grinned devilishly at him, exposing a few white teeth. Tony smirked back and dropped the subject. He knew he wouldn't convince her into having sex with him – just yet, he reminded to himself.

"Anyway… you could just stay over and watch us. Maybe you'll get turned on then."

"Maybe…"

Tony grinned and turned away from her, hoping that it'll turn out well, after all.

At seven o'clock the guests started to arrive – _the _guests, actually. He was actually surprised when they got out from a bus. If he didn't know better, he'd say that his assistant planned this.

One thing he did not know.

The sexy dressed women with great looking legs – complete with high heels and painted nails kissed him sweetly as they made their way into his mansion.

Tony smirked and showed them the living room, the kitchen and his bedroom. Those were the only places they were allowed in.

"So… ladies." Tony cleared his throat and continued. "Make yourself comfortable – turn on the LCD, but _be _careful. There are only porn channels tonight."

"Awww." Came their surprised whimper, but they complied nonetheless.

In an instant the hi-def home cinema rocked their ears as the people on the screen fucked wildly.

"Just like that…" Tony whispered. "You girls should start without me."

The women didn't waste any precious time as they started to kiss heatedly, causing Tony to breathe heavily as he watched them. _Good god. This is A-MA-ZING. Oooonly red-heads with freckles. Nice touch, Stark. You're really obsessed._

He went upstairs to his bedroom and got undressed, only leaving on his sexy black boxers and took a fluffy robe from the dresser, then ran downstairs only to see that the women were already naked and waiting for him.

"Oh boy." He whispered and took a step forward into their warm space.

There were maybe forty minutes until midnight – until 2010, when Jarvis's voice broke through the suggestive sounds.

"Sir, it appears that you have a visitor."

It took Tony half a minute to respond 'cuz he was too busy.

"Who's the v-visitor? Jeez! Take it slowly, honey."

"Virginia Potts."

Tony jumped at the hearing of Pepper's name and quickly got off the couch.

"Ladies please go and hide somewhere, but not here. Upstairs." He ordered nervously and looked around himself.

It didn't look too bad, he had to admit. There were just a few champagne bottles opened on the table and dozens of condoms. He scrunched his nose at those and went to hide them in his pockets.

Tony cleared his throat nervously and went to open the front door.

"Merry Christmas!" He said with an ear-to-ear grin.

Pepper looked at him quizzically and took in his appearance.

"Oops. I know that look, Potts. Did I say something wrong?" Tony slurred huskily.

"It's not Christmas, Tony. It's New Year's eve."

"Yeah, yeah. Boring details. Come in."

_Fluffy robe, disheveled look, cigarette smell and drunken breath… Something's wrong here._

"What happened here?" She stopped in her tracks as she saw a few bras hanging off the table.

She looked back at him and felt a faint odor of sex radiating off him.

When he didn't respond, Pepper took the liberty of pushing away from him.

"Oh god…" She gasped and felt a sting behind her eyes, but she fought it.

Tony didn't let her say anything else as he grabbed both her arms just below her elbows and pressed his lips to the back of her neck. Pepper felt her knees go weak at the mere touch of his lips and goatee against her skin and she tried to escape his grip, but found that she couldn't. If it wasn't enough – some other things were pressing against hers, not just his lips.

"You disgust me." She spat as she broke away from him with a death glare.

"Wait –what?"

"I'm leaving." She murmured and started to walk towards the exit, when he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back against him.

He groaned at the friction between their bodies.

"It's not what you think." He tried to excuse himself.

"I don't care."

He spun her around until she was facing him completely.

"I was just role-playing, you know…"

Pepper raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't believe him.

"Then why do you smell like this?"

"Like what?" Tony encountered.

Pepper pressed her fists into his chest desperately.

"Like sex, Tony. You know it very well."

"Well… I might say that I like playing with myself."

"Stop it, Tony. Whatever you want to do, it's not working."

"I don't wanna do anything." He snorted.

Pepper glared at him and found that she couldn't escape him. His arms were too tight around her.

"It's obvious, Tony." She whispered and looked down at the brightness coming from his arc reactor.

"Obvious what?" He tried to sound nonchalant, but he failed.

"I don't want to talk about it." She was so stubborn sometimes.

"You'll have to, cuz I'm not letting you go until you tell me what's bothering you."

"Bothering… _me_?"

Tony picked her gently up and laid her on the couch. He didn't like that he had to, but he didn't have other choices. There were at least thirty red-heads upstairs – hiding from Pepper.

"Nothing is bothering me. Did you hit your head or something and that's why you've started all of this again?"

She sounded hurt, but she didn't care. Not when he looked so innocent like in this moments.

"Yeah. I've hit my head pretty hard when I found out that you left the party with another man." She tried to protest, but Tony put a hand over her mouth. "Let me say this. You didn't even give me a chance for one single, _fucking _dance."

He raised his voice more than he'd wanted to.

"And you just _left._"

"Did it ever occur to you that I might have felt the same way when you didn't come back with my drink that night?" She whispered, but didn't look him in the eye.

"Oh, _yeah. _Like that drink meant more than the betrayal of the man I've considered my second _father!_"

Pepper tightened her jaw at that and fought back a sob.

"Thank you for telling me how much I mean to you." She got up and headed towards the door, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.

"Don't say that." Tony croaked in a softer voice.

He grabbed both her wrists in his hands and pressed them to her back.

"Leave me _alone._"

"Don't say that." He repeated. "You mean a lot to me."

She didn't say anything else. She just stood there frozen and she breathed deeply through her mouth.

"I think I know what you were doing just before I came in, but just so you know, you can go back and let them please you. That's everything you know about women. But frankly, I have feelings for that man, Tony Stark, whether you like it or not." She whispered and dared him to tell her that she's wrong.

"I'm certain that your feelings for me are far deeper than for any other man on this Earth, Potts."

"Keep dreaming, Stark." She countered quickly. "And get your filthy hands off me."

That hurt a lot, he had to admit. He bit his lip and took a few steps away from her.

"I won't keep dreaming." He told her. "I'm already living the dream."

"Goodbye, Tony."

He nodded at her and let her leave. He'd need lots of red-heads to heal his broken heart.

TBC – Please Review!!!


	4. A Better Option

Charming Possibilities – Part Four

Rating: R (language)

Warnings: Angst.

Part Four

Between fucking hot and gorgeous redheads and fearing for the worst thing that might happen if he doesn't stop this soon enough, Tony was bored. He had been sitting on his bed for approximately two hours without doing anything. The glass of vodka on his nightstand was almost empty, and he would have finished it if it didn't remember him of that night on the rooftop that much.

He felt like if he took that one last sip, the chance of stopping this mad competition would completely disappear. Instead of standing up and doing something worth his time, he continued to stare at the ceiling until his eye-lids began to drop.

He fell asleep sprawled on the top of the covers.

---

February fourteenth was a disastrous day in Pepper's opinion. She remembered one time when she had been invited alongside her boss at a party in Miami – _that _one time when he had tried to convince her into sleeping in the same bed as him. He had been so drunk that night that he had thrown up five times before he passed out in one of the bathrooms.

If it wasn't enough, when she had tried to help him into his bed, he had pulled her atop of him, claiming that he needed a little attention to his hard-on which was pressing up into her ass. She had slapped him then – the single time she did it all those years.

"_I love it when you're bossing me 'round." _He had told her then. "_I wish you'd realize that you've made me even harder by slapping me." _

The frustration in her eyes had become evident and he stopped abruptly, murmuring a little apology. What for? She didn't bother listening to it anyway.

February fourteenth – four years later… Look what they've become. _Strangers… _That's the best word to describe their current relationship. After all they've been through they don't even talk anymore.

"_Don't say that. You mean a lot to me." _What _did _she mean to him after all?

Why would he say that if he continued sleeping around with other women? Why wouldn't he admit that he _wants _her, the same way he did when he had asked her to be his girlfriend. _Why, why, why? _

Those thoughts kept running through her mind even at the restaurant where she was supposed to meet with her boyfriend. She really liked Sean, even though she didn't want to be into a relationship.

Outside the weather was terrible. The sky was getting more and more darker, big grey clouds covering it. The wind blew with intensity, making everyone shiver. It was too cold – it was the weather that represented the emotions gathered inside her heart and Tony's.

---

Tony woke up startled by a thunder. He rolled onto his side, his head spinning. His mouth tasted terrible and he grimaced at the state of his designer clothes.

"Great." He whispered as he stood up with a groan.

He went to his bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror.

"You look extraordinarily fine, Stark. Haven't you heard of shaving?" He asked himself as he passed a hand over his grown stubble.

_No, you did. You just didn't find time to stop by and shave your goddamn goatee._

"Why would I?"

_Because you look terrible. _His mind responded back, making him snort.

"Why do I need to? I mean, _seriously, _now. Who's there to impress?"

_Not the woman I love, apparently._

Those words made him nauseous. Pepper didn't want him. She didn't need him the same way he needed her. She didn't _love _him like he loved her. It was a tough realization. One that made him stumble into his living room in the search of something to gulp down. _Something that will drown out the pain and the misery that was already burning his heart._

He searched impatiently through the kitchen cabinet and finally he took out a half-full bottle of Johnnie Walker. He sighed in triumph while he opened it and took a small gulp out of it.

"I should advise that you stop drinking immediately, sir. Your vitals show that your blood pressure is high and that you're in great distress. You might need to go to the hospital if you insist on finishing that bottle."

"What's today's date, Jarvis?" He asked with misery.

He already knew what day it was – he just needed someone to remember him that he was still alive.

"Today's the fourteenth of February 2010, sir."

"Knew that…" He mumbled and shut his eyes tightly. "Valentine's Day." He croaked out through gritted teeth.

"Yes, sir. It's Valentine's Day, indeed. It's also known as the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery."

"I hate it when you read the Wikipedia."

"Maybe you should try and send Miss Potts some flowers. It would make her feel cared about."

"Why would I?" Tony slurred. "She's already mad at me and if you didn't know, she has a _boyfriend_, Jarvis. That means I mean nothing to her."

"Of course you mean something to Miss Potts, sir. If you didn't, be sure she wouldn't have called you to ensure that you are sober and not drunk, as you might recall the last five Christmases."

"I didn't get drunk last year." Tony pointed out accusingly.

"Yes you did, sir. And if I may, you've kind of been on the front page of every major publication in the states these past months."

"Right."

"You have returned to your old habits – the drinks and the women. If you are really interested in having Miss Potts I suggest you stop doing these things. She might notice it, eventually."

"I, uh… I'll head towards the shower. If Pepper calls, you know what to do."

"Sir?"

"Tell her I'm sorry, all right?"

"Will do, sir."

---

"So what do you say?" Sean asked Pepper with a glint in his eyes.

Pepper looked back towards him and realized that she hadn't been paying attention at all.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked you if you want to move in with me."

Pepper gaped at him in shock because she didn't know how to respond.

"That's very… tempting." She admitted with her eyes downward. "I'll think about it."

In all truth she didn't want to leave her home for a man she barely knew. She didn't want to rush things.

"If it's too early, I'm sorry, but I'm kind of… you know that I love you, right?"

"I know. I… I love you, too."

Sean grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm, shaking her lightly when he realized she was far away into her own thoughts.

"Am I interrupting something in here?" He asked affectionately and pressed another kiss to her knuckles this time.

"Oh. It's nothing major, I promise."

_Lying was the best option, anyway. What was I supposed to tell him after he had just asked me to move in with him? **Hey, listen, I'm in love with someone else, but I don't want to hurt you and your feelings so I pretend that I'm in love with you and not with my former boss who is the biggest jerk on the whole planet.**_

"Let's go. I have a surprise for you." That brought her out of her reverie.

Sean stood up and helped her with her coat before kissing her lightly on her cheek.

"I'll go and bring the car around. You stay here 'cause it's raining." It was indeed raining, Pepper realized with a small sigh.

Forty-five minutes later they stopped in front of the Disney Concert Hall in Downtown LA. A wave of panic splashed over her as she saw the well-known building in the front of her eyes. She didn't realize that Sean was holding out his hand for her to take it.

"What's going on here?" Pepper asked hesitantly as they walked calmly into the building, a few dozens of paparazzi taking shots of them together.

"Well… what can I say? You look extremely delicious and I thought we might dance a little… you know… doing couple things." Sean told her with a grin.

Pepper felt a pain in her chest as she was being pulled towards the dance floor by her boyfriend.

"Relax, baby. You're too tensed up."

Slowly, she began to relax in his arms, but the feeling of being here again was too overwhelming. She closed her eyes as the song started to play.

Not ten minutes after she noticed that there were perhaps three reporters in there, craving for some good news.

"Let's go outside." He whispered in her ear.

Pepper obeyed reluctantly and followed him with a heavy heart. Every step seemed so familiar and it _hurt. _It hurt a lot, but she had to be tough.

_Everything that happened next blurred as Sean kneeled down on one knee in front of her and pulled out a blue velvet box. Her heart stopped beating and her chest tightened painfully. Her tears fell freely when she half-nodded and half-shook her head. _

…

---

"Sir, you might want to see this." The British voice of the AI echoed through the living room.

"What is it?!" Tony shouted from the bathroom.

He found it odd that Jarvis didn't respond, so he decided to go downstairs and see what his AI was talking about.

"What…" Tony's voice faltered when he noticed the images on his plasma TV.

His ears buzzed and his vision blurred as he watched the happy couple on the screen.

"_Stark Industries' CEO, Virginia Potts engaged to doctor Sean Williams. More details on www…."_

The wet towel he had used to rub his hair with fell from his hand and he stumbled over it on his way towards the entrance door. He didn't realize he had moved until his feet touched the wet sand of his private beach.

He stopped as soon as the ice cold water hit his feet and he looked around frantically for something – _something…_

---

The phone rang for approximately fifteen minutes. No one picked it up.

---

Outside was still pouring with ice cold drops when James 'Rhodey' Rhodes showed up at the Stark Mansion.

Even though it was past four and it was getting dark, there was no sign of Tony. When he entered the mansion he noticed that the plasma in his living room was on, and guess what – _Pepper's engaged?!_

"What the hell? Jarvis?"

The AI responded immediately.

"Good evening, Colonel."

"Hey. Where's Tony?"

Jarvis seemed reluctant. "He's taking a walk on his private beach."

Rhodey's eyes widened. "Like _now?! _It's freakin' raining outside."

"Mr. Stark has been there for approximately an hour and seventeen minutes."

"Jesus." He gasped and looked back at the frozen screen, seizing the connection immediately.

He grabbed an umbrella and a blanket and ran as fast as he could towards the beach.

"Tony!" He yelled and looked around, desperately.

Rhodey knew exactly what happened with his friend and he needed to find him as soon as possible. Knowing Tony, he could have held a gun to his temple all this time.

"Tony!!!" He yelled again and kept running through the slippery sand.

An unmoving body on the sand made Rhodey apply all those military trainings as he ran as fast as he could. He fell down to his knees in front of Tony who was collapsed onto the cold sand, hair and clothes wet and cold at touch.

Rhodey trembled as he checked him for pulse. He found one and it was fairly good, but given his conditions he needed to be taken care of immediately.

"Tony!" Rhodey said as he slapped him slightly.

He undressed Tony quickly and pulled off his own sweater and dressed him with it. Then he wrapped the blanket tightly around him and stood behind him before taking him in his arms. The umbrella protected them from getting wet and he brought out his phone and dialed Jarvis's number.

They would need help.

---

A/N: Guess who's going to come and help them? Review/Comment, please!


	5. The Truth

Charming Possibilities – Part Five

Rating: PG-13

Warning: Angst.

Part Five

"Tony, come on. Wake up."

He didn't want to wake up. It was better asleep, but he felt so cold…

"Come on, buddy. It's going to be all right." Rhodey's voice was warm, but it didn't comfort him at all.

"It's okay… You're safe now."

His eyes fluttered open when he felt a warm hand stroke his arm. It felt as if Pepper's soft skin touched his, but as he opened his eyes he found out that it was his PA, Natalie.

"How do you feel, boss?" She asked him with a worried look on her face.

Tony couldn't form words. His chest burned and he couldn't keep his eyes opened for too long.

"I think he'll be just fine." Rhodey replied in his place. "The doctors said he'll be fine. He'll probably have a nasty headache tomorrow, but it'll pass. He's gonna need many liquids, including some chicken soup."

Tony saw how Natalie nodded and whispered something else to Rhodey who looked apprehensive.

"_No… I won't tell her. How can I?" _

He coughed and turned on his side because it was just too much. Everything was just _too _much.

---

Being in the arms of her future husband didn't feel right to Pepper. He was sound asleep behind her, his arm carefully placed around her waist. He snored softly into her hair, making Pepper squirm. She couldn't believe that she had actually said _yes _to him.

She stood there awake without making any sound and without alerting him that she was actually awake. There were a million of thoughts that passed through her mind, but none of them bugged her more than the thought of might have happened to Tony when he had heard that she got engaged.

She thought about the worst things that might have happened, but somehow she didn't picture the real thing that happened to him. She wondered why he didn't have the courage to tell her how much she means to him, even though he had told her that once. It didn't matter all that much then because he was about to fuck a dozen of red-heads.

Slowly she began to feel that pain returning inside of her chest, suffocating her. She didn't want to hyperventilate now when everything was supposed to run smoothly. If Sean would wake up, he would want to know why she's crying and she wasn't ready to tell him yet. _But when is she going to be ready…? When she'll find herself walking towards the aisle? _

She didn't love the man holding her in his arms and she felt guilty for letting this relationship move forward so quickly. At the beginning it felt like a good antidote for hiding her feelings from Tony who began to let his guard down anytime she was near him. She loved _Tony_, not her future husband.

It was a tough decision in the end. One she would make after talking to Tony…

---

Tony blew his nose into a tissue and looked at Natalie who was sitting on the edge of his bed with a bowl of chicken soup in her hand. He needed to eat something because he looked very pale.

She waited patiently and waved the spoon in front of his eyes, but all he did was to stare at his hands.

"You need to eat something, Mr. Stark. You look terrible." Natalie told him and set the bowl down to his nightstand.

"I don't wanna eat." He pouted. "I wanna die."

"It won't help you if you just stand her and sulk. Try to eat some soup. It's delicious and it won't taste good if it gets cold."

Tony cracked his knuckles and nodded silently.

"That's it. You're such a good boy." She said as she brought the spoon to his lips.

Tony scrunched his nose at the smell, but accepted it nonetheless. He felt really _terrible. _Not to mention that he was sick from standing in the rain for too long.

He emptied the bowl with loud burp and he stroked his stomach before leaning back against the pillows. His assistant went to the kitchen and retrieved some Tylenol and a glass of orange juice and laid them on his nightstand before grabbing the blanket and covering him with it.

He was out in less than a minute.

---

That evening she planned to drive to Tony's mansion and talk to him in private. She _had _to know what he feels for her.

---

Before heading out of Tony's mansion, Natalie called Rhodey and informed him that she had a few things to do and asked him to come over. She wasn't sure whether or not Tony wanted to be left alone, but she decided to wait until Rhodey would arrive.

Half an hour later Rhodey arrived and hugged Natalie.

"How is he?" He demanded.

"He'll be all right, I think. It takes time for… you know…"

"I understand that. They were quite the untraditional couple." He laughed and smiled at her.

"He seems a little off. Take it easy on him, please."

"Will do, Nat." Rhodey winked at her and held the door open for her.

"Goodbye James."

"Take care."

Rhodey wouldn't admit out loud that he thought that Natalie was hot…

…

Rhodey walked silently into Tony's room, hoping that somehow he'll pass over the fact that Pepper was getting married. Pepper was his friend as well, and he had grown used to Tony wooing her. And for that fact alone, he hated seeing his best friend broken hearted.

It was a weird association, one he had never thought it would happen to Tony…

His eyes adjusted to the darkness that was Tony's bedroom and after a couple of seconds he noticed that Tony was asleep, his arc reactor illuminating his face. _Finally, he's asleep. I'd better leave and let him get that so much needed sleep._

He left the room without making any noise, his steps heavy. He would need something to keep his mind busy, after all.

…

Half an hour later the familiar sound of a pair of stilettos clicked onto the marble floor, making Rhodey to jump in surprise at the sight of Pepper Potts.

"What are you doing here?" Rhodey's tone was demanding and it caught Pepper off guard.

"I can ask you the same question." Pepper looked at Rhodey with a raised eyebrow, suggesting that she meant business.

"_I mean… _what are you doing _here_?" Rhodey asked again and laid his beer onto the coffee table. "Weren't you supposed to pick wedding invitations or something?"

Pepper snorted and started to head towards the stairs when Rhodey caught her arm.

"Don't try to go up those stairs." Rhodey warned Pepper.

He gave her his best military expression, but Pepper ignored him. She had to talk to Tony.

"You don't know how I've found him yesterday." Rhodey's voice stopped her mid-stairs.

She turned towards him and brushed the invisible dust from her coat.

"He was passed out on his private beach. When I arrived here Jarvis told me that he was there for almost an hour and a half… He was fucking frozen when I found him, plus he was barely breathing. Do you have any idea on how afraid I was then?" His tone was irritated and his eyes were dark.

"No, you don't." He said when Pepper didn't respond. "He's asleep right now because he's got a nasty cold. Just…" He exhaled desperately. "Don't break him even more, okay?"

_He was the one who broke me. _She thought with a sad smile.

"Give me just a couple of minutes. I want to figure out something."

Rhodey nodded and let her go upstairs.

When she reached Tony's bed she couldn't really breathe. She could see the sweat covering his face and his neck, and she whispered silently to Jarvis to turn on the lights so that she could see him better.

Jarvis complied nonetheless and in less than a second the room was lightened up. She looked at Tony for a few seconds and wondered how she could brush off the sweat off his face and neck. She saw a towel on the other side of the bed and she grabbed it before heading towards the bathroom.

She came back, sat on the edge of the bed and wiped the cold sweat from his face and neck. She sighed as he opened his sleepy eyes and looked at her.

"We need to talk." That was all that she could manage.

"Pepper, what-"

She stopped him with a hand on his lips.

"I need the truth now, please."

---

Review and let me know what you want to happen between these two.


	6. One Last Kiss

Charming Possibilities – Part Six

Rating: PG-13 (language)

Warnings: Angst.

Part Six

Tony stood there, eyes wide and confused. He tried to figure out what to say, but it was hard. His head spun as he tried to sit up against the headboard, but somehow he managed to temper down his nerves.

"What truth?" He asked and yawned gently into his fist.

Pepper stared back at him and just then realized how terrible he really looked. His skin was pale and he had dark circles below his eyes. His lips were dry and she noticed that he began to sweat again.

"I don't want you to marry that guy." He admitted softly and made eye-contact with her.

Pepper bit her lip, not quite knowing what to say.

"I know that." She whispered and looked down at her engagement ring.

"Why did you come here then?" He tried to sound like the cocky-self, but his voice betrayed him.

She had never heard him like that and it frightened her. His voice was barely more than a whisper and it trembled as he spoke.

"Look… I'm sorry for hurting you." She opened her mouth to argue, but he raised his hand to stop her. "But I'm only a human."

Pepper stared at him in shock and realized that he was actually apologizing.

"I know I'd probably end up in hell for everything I have done, and just so you know, I'm not proud of my mistakes. They changed my perspective over my life just a tiny bit, but not enough to completely detach myself from – distractions."

"You are so completely wrong!" She told him with a determination that shocked him. "You won't end up in hell."

"Why do you sound so certain?" He whispered and looked outside his windows at the ocean.

He remembered the feel of cold rain on his warm skin and he instantly shivered. He hugged himself to warm up because he suddenly felt really cold. Pepper noticed his reaction and fought a shiver herself.

"I don't really know. You're a good person, Tony and I'm sure that those three months thought you something."

"Yeah, right." He snorted and looked at his hands. "Break off the engagement." He whispered and looked at her, head tilted to one side.

"Isn't this what you wanted me to say?"

"No." She said weakly. "I wanted _you _to want to say that. Not me. Goodbye."

With her eyes full of tears Pepper stormed out of Tony's bedroom.

"I didn't mean to sound like that!" She heard him yell from the base of the spiral stairs.

She couldn't stop walking, even though the pain in her chest grew a hundred times. She didn't even notice that in her rush she broke one of the heels of her red Louboutin stilettos.

"Oh fuck!" She yelled in irritation as she threw her broken shoe at Tony who was following her.

"Jesus, Pepper." He murmured as he avoided the dangerous shoe.

"Lock down the house, Jarvis." Tony ordered and stopped walking. He was panting heavily while he looked at the ceiling. "Unless Rhodey is still here."

"He left approximately ten minutes ago, Mr. Stark."

"Excellent." Tony smirked.

"Tony…" She warned as he walked towards her with hurried steps.

She couldn't stop him from kissing her forcefully. The sudden feel of his lips against hers made her slap him. He didn't stop, though. He used his hands to pin her against the cool wall of his living room.

"That's it. Hurt me even more. Isn't it enough that I am so fucking screwed up right now so you decide to fuck me even more?" He growled at her, his eyes dark and dangerous.

"Please let me go and I promise I won't see you ever again." Tony's face fell suddenly and the hurt returned into his eyes.

He backed away a few steps and stared at her.

"So is that your final wish?" He croaked out in a weak voice.

Pepper stared back and straightened her wrinkled clothes.

"I'll take your silence as a 'yes.' Well, thank you very much, Pepper. I really appreciate your effort of telling me that you won't bother to see me ever again. Thank you very much." He repeated with great effort and left.

Her vision was blurred by tears as she watched him walk away silently. She felt as if she was seeing him for the last time. The tears that she fought so much to keep in control fell now freely on her cheeks as her knees buckled and she fell to the floor.

She had to be tough. She had to stand up and walk away like nothing happened, but everything else felt worthless.

Her breathless sobs succumbed to hiccups and she passed away.

Ten minutes later Tony descended the stairs, his own eyes red and puffy. Jarvis had informed him that Pepper had passed out earlier. He didn't want her to sleep onto the cold floor – he had at least that much soul as not to let her get a cold.

He crouched next to her and brushed a strand of hair out of her face with a deep sigh. His heart felt constricted, but he had to do this.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before taking her in his arms and carrying her to the main door. Her eyes opened when she felt his warmth. After realizing that it was indeed – him, she closed her eyes and accepted another gentle kiss, this time on her cheek.

"Go home." He said. "You wouldn't have been comfortable on the floor, anyway."

Pepper stared at his turned back and put her hand on the doorknob.

"You know what, Pep?" She heard him mutter as she opened the door. "I love you."

He grabbed her chin with his hand and tightened his jaw as he stared at her. "Remember that when you'll be with your perfect husband and children."

Pepper sobbed and bated his hand away to kiss him. He let her kiss him for a few seconds before he walked away.

---

Hm. Do you really want them to make up? Like… _really?_


	7. Regrets

Charming Possibilities – Part Seven

Rating: PG-13 (language)

Warning: Angst

Part Seven

**Seven months later…**

"Are you really deaf?"

When Tony didn't respond, Rhodey walked over to him and patted his shoulder gently.

"I'm not deaf, platypus, I'm not listening. It's a difference."

"Okay…" Rhodey trailed off and sat down on the couch next to Tony. "How's it like?" He asked finally.

"How's it like what?"

Tony passed his hands through his hair and stared forward at the mess that was his workshop.

"You know…"

Tony turned around to look at his friend. He hadn't expected the laid arm on his back as an assurance.

"It's… uh… fitting, I guess."

The response caught Rhodey off guard. He didn't think that his friend would blame himself for what happened, even though it wasn't his fault. Not entirely, at least.

"Hey, listen. We'd better start preparing for tonight's benefit. You're coming, right?"

"Yeah, sure." Tony mumbled and closed his eyes.

---

It had been a month since their wedding, but somehow it felt more than that. It felt like ten years had passed. She didn't know why she felt that way, but without no doubt it was Tony's fault. She had been reluctant to send him the invitation for the wedding, but Sean had insisted.

She had hoped until the last second that he would show up, but he hadn't. Her heart ached in more than one way when Sean had pushed the ring onto her third finger.

They returned home from their honeymoon in New Zeeland earlier that day and she was exhausted. The whole month was in fact, very boring.

"I'll be in the kitchen, honey. I have to make some calls." Sean shouted from their bedroom.

Exhausted and grumpy, she didn't want to respond so she settled into an armchair and stared out the window. Their new apartment was located into the heart of Los Angeles. From the eleventh floor she could easily see the crowded streets below.

A flash of red and gold caught her attention and she stood up wearily. She searched the sky, but it wasn't there. She looked down and froze when she heard a knock at the door.

"I don't mean to interrupt or anything, but you're needed at the company, Mrs. Williams."

Pepper looked at the man wearing a business suit and realized that he was a SI employee. She hadn't used to be called Mrs. Williams just yet, but she paid no mind.

"Give me five minutes." She responded and headed towards the bathroom.

---

"There's something wrong with him." Ralph said.

"Who's 'him'?" Pepper asked as they walked into the elevator.

"Mr. Stark. He's been yelling at the PR department for an hour and then he said something like 'I will watch you very carefully. All of you.' In my opinion he sounded really drunk."

"It wouldn't be the first time." Pepper whispered more to herself as the elevator came to a stop.

"I can't believe you don't know how to make a fucking coffee, you moron!" She stopped abruptly when she noticed Tony eyeing her PA with a death glare.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Stark. Please give me that back and I'll make you another one."

"I don't need another one! I thought you knew how I liked my coffee!" Tony snorted when he saw the woman opening her mouth and closing it every five seconds.

"You know what? You're fired!" He spat with venom.

Pepper's eyes widened as she witnessed the whole scene. She couldn't believe the Tony who was standing in front of her.

"Y-you can't fire me. You're not my boss."

"Hell, yeah I can. I own this fucking company, so don't give me all this bullshit about rights. I have every fucking right to fire you and I just fuckin' did."

He didn't seem to notice Pepper who was standing just a few inches away from him. She was practically fuming with nerves. Everyone else in the office stopped working just to watch the scene.

Pepper cleared her throat behind him and waited for him to turn around. She didn't expect the agonizing despair on his face when he turned to face her.

"I thought you wouldn't come here until next week!" He mumbled and cleared his throat, feeling a little awkward.

"If you hadn't created this circus I wouldn't have come. Follow me." She sounded angry and for a moment he hesitated.

He followed her silently into her office, his steps slow and calculated. He cleared his throat for maybe three times more until he closed the door after him. Pepper kept her back towards him because she was so angry at him. How could he show up this drunk and fire my assistant, she wondered.

"I'm gone for a month and this is what I find when I come back." She mutters in a tight voice. "Do you have any idea how mad I am at you right now?"

Tony bit his lip and threw his hands into his pockets sheepishly. He hadn't even thought that she might find him like this…

"You don't." She explained him. "What does it take for you to stop drinking, Tony? Isn't enough that you put your life in danger every time you put on that suit? Or do you need to make me worry even more because you like, no, I refrain. You _love _to get drunk. Tell me."

"Nothing would make me stop drinking, Potts, and you know that very well."

Pepper swallowed hard when she heard him call her 'Potts', even though it wasn't her name anymore.

"You should really see a doctor. I don't think you realize that you put your life in danger anytime you have a glass of scotch."

"Why would I care about my life? It is screwed. I know that. You think I don't? Well, don't judge me, Potts. You don't have that right."

"You're right. I don't. But I do care about you and I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened and I could have prevented it."

She heard his harsh breathing and she felt waves of sadness radiating from his body.

"How was your honeymoon, honey? Did you have a great time with your husband? Oh, wait. Did you like it when he screwed you nice and easy? Huh? I bet you did."

Pepper closed her eyes tightly and fought harder than ever not to turn around and slap him. She knew why he was acting like that, but after he'd told her that he loved her she had hoped that he would forget her and move on. But apparently he hadn't.

"Your attitude doesn't surprise me." She told him matter-of-factly. "But I'll appreciate it if you'd be more respectful next time."

"I don't know about you, but it gets easier from one day to another." He muttered absently while playing with the end of his light-blue tie.

Her chest began to burn when she heard those words. She didn't want to admit, but she didn't want him to move on. She wanted him to love her, even though they couldn't be together.

"Time heals everything, doesn't it, Pepper?" He asked and came closer to her until she could feel his breath tickling the back of her neck.

"Of course it does." She croaked out.

"I'll only have to wait a little bit more." He said and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

He squeezed her briefly, enjoying the feel of her before stepping away from her entirely.

"By the way, tell'er she's not fired. I was just kidding." He told her with a wink. "I'm leaving."

Pepper waited patiently until he was out the door until she collapsed against the couch. Her heart was slowly, but securely shattering in thousands of little pieces.

"Goddammit, Tony." She muttered.

---

It seems like Tony's moving on and it won't be an easy journey. Do you think she will be able to move on, as well? My muse will continue working if I get reviews!!!


	8. A Blessed Imagination

Charming Possibilities – Part Eight

Rating: R

Word Count: 2.130

Warnings: Sex, sort of…

A/N: **Two updates in one day. Please read the chapter before this one! **

Part Eight

Tony Stark didn't lie. He had never tried to get rid of something by lying. He was absolutely sure that lies would only make every situation worse, and this situation wasn't an exception.

He absolutely hated feeling alone. He had experienced it first when his parents died. For five straight months he'd learned how it felt like having no one beside him. It felt terrible.

He remembered the first time he'd had a drink. Every since he was a teenager he prided himself on his restraint. He didn't drink, he didn't smoke and most important, he didn't have sex. How could he, anyway? His father was an important business man and his mother was the same. He wouldn't have disappointed them.

The accident happened three months after he'd graduated MIT. He remembered how happy he was and how proud his parents were. They even promised him that they would take him to New York for Christmas. He'd spent Christmases in New York before, but it was just for a few hours when his dad had a board meeting. He _loved _those hours because his mother usually brought him with her and they did what Maria knew best – shopping. He'd always complimented his mother when she'd try an evening gown on, or even just an informal dress. She always looked gorgeous, even in a pencil skirt.

He had been sleeping when his butler, Edwin Jarvis had knocked at the door of his room. He had told him not to panic and that his parents had an accident. He remembered the awful pain of panic spreading from his chest towards his brain. Everything seemed surreal afterwards.

For five years he'd tried to put on a brave face and confirm himself and his genius. He'd managed that incredibly well, according to Obadiah's belief. He didn't really know how it all worked, but it did. After he'd turned 23 he'd grown a goatee. He had tried more than fifteen types until he settled with the one he's sporting now.

Women seemed more interested in him after that. The parties kept coming and he attended each and every of them. He couldn't put his finger on it, but drinking was always welcomed even at the darkest times. It usually went like this. He would wear a nice suit, one of the Armani ones, he'd pass a hand through his thick hair until some of it fell on his forehead, he'd put on some dark shades and he'd be ready in no time.

At first he'd chocked on the first gulp of his scotch. It burned his mouth and throat really badly. It took him fifteen minutes to finish his first glass, but he had ordered another one after that.

Women were easy. They were many and that helped a lot. After a few drinks they would come at him without an effort. They would find a private place – the back of his limousine, perhaps, and they'd be getting it on in less than thirty minutes. He had never been a fan of foreplay, but he supposed that women thought otherwise.

During a couple of years he'd managed to set a new record. He managed to get laid between three and four times a week and it really wasn't _bad. _That habit of his lasted for about eleven years until he was kidnapped and forced to build a missile.

He had realized then that everything he did was worthless. He was just wasting his life. He had _no one. _

It wasn't until the one he'd considered his second father betrayed him and tried to kill him. _It wasn't until he'd built the Iron Man suit that everything seemed to run smoothly. _

Meanwhile he had tried to tell his assistant many times how he felt about her. He failed every time, though. The last time he'd failed so badly that she ended up going home with another man, whom she married nearly a year after. It hurt. It fucking hurt very much.

He hadn't really thought about how he would manage to survive without her. He only knows that he somehow managed to survive until now.

His birthday was last week and he didn't know how he was supposed to feel like. He most definitely didn't feel a year older. And he didn't feel anything different than two years ago when he'd still been an arrogant, self-centered playboy.

He most definitely felt like he should change something, but he had no fucking clue. He screwed up the other day when he had gotten drunk and yelled at Pepper's PA. He hadn't expected her visit because he knew that she was still on her honeymoon.

And he really deserved the punishment because he had _lied. _It was not the first time, neither the last. He didn't know about Pepper, but the pain in his chest had gotten worse since her wedding. He couldn't stand the thought of her being in the arms of another man and it was getting harder from one minute to another to endure this torture.

Right now he wanted to call her and apologize for what he's managed to do yesterday. He wasn't proud about what happened yesterday between him and her PA. He shouldn't have gotten drunk in the first place, but every time he thinks about Pepper and her husband his mind goes numb and his vision goes red.

The worst of all, he wished that he could take back the lie that haunted him 'I don't know about you, but it gets easier from one day to another'. His eyes closed in defeat as he stood up from his worktable and headed towards the shower.

He glanced briefly at the clock on the table right before he put his foot on the first step of the stairs. It was almost eleven. He'd have a short shower, after all and then he'll summon the courage to sleep in his own bed.

The lamp on his nightstand was on when he entered his bedroom and the air was chilly. He suspected that Jarvis had just refreshed the entire room. The fluffy carpet tickled his soles as he went straight to the bathroom. He reached back over his shoulder, clawing the material up and over his head before dropping the piece of clothing on the floor.

He undid his jeans next, pushed them down on his slender hips and kicked them off to the floor next to his shirt. He wasted no time before he entered the shower and put his head under the hot splash of water. Gradually he felt the tension in his shoulders disappear and he let himself enjoy the way the water warmed him up.

He grabbed the soap and lathered it in his hands before washing his chest first and the area around his arc reactor. Every since he started having sex again a lot of hair started to grow on his chest. It wasn't really an obstacle, but it grew fast and it was irritating. He didn't want to shave because he was sure that he would look like a monkey afterwards.

After he was done, he carefully stepped onto the floor and took a towel from the towel rack. He wiped his hair first then the rest of his body and then he wrapped the white towel around his waist. He looked over for some clean clothes, but there were just a few pairs of boxers. He grabbed a white pair before heading back into his bedroom.

He rummaged through his dressing until he found a pair of sweats and a white wifebeater.

His hair dried while he went to the kitchen for a quick meal. He didn't want to fall asleep hungry.

Half an hour later he managed to brush his teeth and crawl into his own bed. The sheets were cold at touch and he shivered a little. But they smelled fresh because they've just been changed that day. He grabbed the cappuccino colored duvet and brought it past his shoulders. The darkness around him fitted somehow. It was a mirror of his soul, actually.

His arc reactor illuminated the empty place in front of him as he turned over to one side. He sighed after a couple of minutes of watching it and covered his arc reactor with his hand. The light managed to sneak through his fingers somehow and he needed to cover it with the duvet.

He wondered what Pepper was doing right then. He wondered if she was happy in the arms of a man – another man. Maybe she was. He couldn't really tell. But he was sure that she wouldn't have been happier in his arms because to be frank, he knew that he would make her feel worried for him each time he was out in the suit. She'd be worried and conflicted and it just wouldn't work. It wouldn't work and it was just his fault, he reasoned. There's no other reason.

It made him feel twice angry and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. He hated himself for all that he's done. He hated himself for not figuring it out sooner. It would have felt different if she wasn't married. But now she is and he would hate himself even more if she'd have to divorce because of him. It wasn't fair. It was a cruel joke that god decided to play on him.

But sometimes he just needed to pretend that it was okay and that none of that really happened. He needed to pretend that she was next to him in his bed – their bed, actually. Sometimes he'd just want to spoon up behind her and hold her in his arms and sometimes he'd imagine that she would lay her head on his shoulder and her hand against his arc reactor. And they would just fall asleep together, blissfully naked, their skin warming up against each other's.

This time he thought how it would feel like if he would move closer to her in the darkness and he would wrap his arm around her waist. He wondered if she would gasp when he would gently kiss her neck, wondered if she would let him do more than just that. He wondered if she would let him slide his warm hand into her tank top to cup one breast. It would fit in his hand and that would be really okay with him.

He wasn't really conscious of what he was doing as he sneaked his hand inside his sweat pants and boxers to grab the firm hardness that was him. He quickly got rid of his wifebeater along with his sweats and boxers. He was going to feel like shit after this, but he couldn't ignore it anymore.

His imagination went further than that afterwards. He imagined her cool hand grasping his when he slid it inside of her panties. He would love to hear her gasp as he stroked her and he would feel so dizzy at the sheer intimacy of it.

She wouldn't resist him so she would push him against the sheets and kiss him deeply while her hands would busy themselves with his hair. He'd let her undress him slowly and he would let her lower her hips over his, their groans slow and full of passion.

He would find her so tight and hot and oh god, so wet. He knew he wouldn't be able to breathe for a few long and agonizing seconds because the feel of her would totally drive him crazy. Their lovemaking would be slow, but intense and he'd clutch at her hips and he'd encourage her with breathless moans and groans.

When she'd come he wouldn't be able to keep his eyes away from the look of pure ecstasy on her face… wouldn't be able to contain the growl erupting from deep within his chest as he'd come – shaking.

His hand stilled as he reached orgasm in real life. He panted and stroked his chest with one hand as he lay there shaking. His eyes were wide and unblinking, his own arc reactor illuminating his come on his stomach.

He tried to get up after a few minutes but he found that he couldn't. His legs were shaking so badly that he was forced down on his knees. It took him three tries, but somehow he managed to find his bathroom.

He found it useless to wear clothes after what happened so he climbed naked inside his bed, grabbed a pillow and hugged closer to his chest.

He isn't going to be able to forgive himself.

---

Is he going to be able to forget her? Do you really think so? I want your opinion, so review!!!


	9. Sunshine

Charming Possibilities – Part Nine

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 1406

A/N: About the last chapter… well, Tony _is _a little bit desperate so he does what men know best. Would you have liked it better if Tony went back to his womanizing ways? Anyway, I loved every review! They keep me going! Keep it up.

Part Nine

"Good morning, sir." Jarvis's mechanical voice made Tony jump out of his bed. "Your PA arrived ten minutes ago. She had instructed me to wake you up because she's busy at the moment."

Tony pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes and groaned. The duvet barely covered his nakedness, but he paid no mind. He felt horrible and on top of it all, his head throbbed.

"What do you _want_?" He muttered at the ceiling while he looked over at the pillow in his arms.

"There's an important meeting at half past nine. It's currently a quarter to eight. If you shower and dress in less than an hour you'd be there in no time."

"I had a shower last night." He protested with another groan.

"I remember that, sir." Tony looked at the ceiling with a death glare and headed towards his bathroom.

"Stupid AI." Tony muttered and turned on the cold water.

An hour after Tony strode out from his bedroom and went straight to Natalie's office.

"I'm surprised." Natalie remarked as she noticed him. "I thought you wouldn't want to come."

"Blah blah, shall we?" He asked and pointed towards the door.

"Absolutely, Mr. Stark."

She stopped in front of him and arranged his askew tie. Tony raised an eye-brow and stared at her hands with a suggestive smirk.

---

The road to the SI headquarters was relatively short. Once inside the limousine, Tony slid across the seat to grab a can of beer. He smirked at the sound of it as he filled one glass.

"Would you care for a beer?" He asked as he leaned back against the seat with the glass safely in his hand.

Natalie shot him a dry look and continued to write something on her PDA.

"You know what, sir?" She whispered after a couple of minutes.

"What?"

"I think you should stop drinking. This meeting is really important, and Mrs. Williams has personally asked me to ensure that you're sober."

Tony almost choked with his drink and he stared incredulously over his sunglasses at his PA.

"Mrs. Williams?" He asked.

"Yes, Mr. Stark. Virginia "Pepper" Williams, your ex-PA."

"Yeah." He mumbled and turned his eyes away from hers. "Only that her name was Potts when she was working for me."

"Listen, Mr. Stark. If you're going to get drunk I suggest you do that at home. And besides," She added with a sweet smile. "- you can always find someone else."

"And who would that be?"

He was pretty sure he didn't want to have this discussion right then, but she was right.

"I don't know. There are many women out there."

"I know that." He replied sarcastically. "But I couldn't trust them."

"Yeah, maybe you're right. But you know… you can tell her how you feel. If she feels the same for you maybe you've got a chance. Women want that, you know… Sometimes you've got to step up and speak straight from your heart."

"Yeah, well, I told her once, but she apparently ignored me and now she's happy with her new husband."

"How do you know she's truly happy?"

"She seems happy, I don't know."

"You know what, Mr. Stark?" Natalie told him with a firm voice. "Tell her how you _truly _feel about her."

"Would that work?" Tony asked with a dazed expression on his face.

"Maybe, but you should really considerate it."

"All right." He said after a couple of minutes. "I'll give it a shot, see how it goes."

---

The meeting was canceled. Apparently, the airplane couldn't land because of the weather conditions. It was going to rain soon because there were dark clouds gathered on the clear sky.

Tony waited for a few minutes at Pepper's office door, contemplating. He wondered if he should really knock at the door. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea…

"Excuse me, Mr. Stark. Do you need something?"

Pepper's PA looked at him with an angry expression.

"I… yeah. I'd like to talk to Pepper if possible."

"Is it… important?" She asked him with her hands on her hips.

Tony hesitated for a fraction of a second before replying.

"Yeah… a little."

The woman smiled at him and went inside Pepper's office. She emerged a few seconds later with another smile. There was something going on between those two, she knew it.

"She says she's available for you, Mr. Stark."

Tony chuckled and dared to enter her office.

"Good morning, Tony." Pepper greeted him with a smile.

"Hi." He waved a little at her and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Do you need something?" She asked him politely.

Tony took in her appearance and frowned a little when he saw the black marks under her eyes.

"I, uh… I wanted to tell you that I, uh…" He stuttered nervously before looking at his right shoe.

"I'm listening…" She reassured him from behind her desk.

He moved a couple of steps in her direction, but didn't look up. He seemed nervous.

"Don' you… don' you love me, uh… just a little?" His question was a bit dumbfounded, but Pepper quickly stopped typing.

She stared at him with a hesitant smile and decided to ask him.

"Why do you need to know that?"

"Well, I thought that if I'm… I thought that after I told you how I felt about you, I mean… I'm such a fucking dumbass!" He exclaimed and laughed at his own stuttering.

"Go on…" Pepper told him with a weak smile.

"I just, ugh…" He bit his lip and looked at her. His eyes widened in shock at the expression on her face. She was about to cry, he knew that. "I can't get over you. I'm sorry, but I can't. I want to because I know that you're really _happy _with your life, but every time I tell myself that it's over and I've got to forget you I can't. I just… like that."

"Please don't cry." He whispered and went to her. He knelt in front of her chair and took both of her hands. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted to tell you that I can't stop thinking about you."

"I'm married." She whispered between soft sobs. "And I love him."

Tony's hopes died just a little. He tried to breathe normally.

"I… know." He whispered. "I tried at least."

He smiled sadly and stood up, ready to leave. He should have known that he didn't have a chance.

"But I love you, too." Tony froze with his hand on the doorknob.

He didn't turn towards her until he felt her hands on his shoulder blades. She waited until his hands wrapped themselves around her waist so that she could lay her right hand onto his arc reactor.

"I want to kiss you so badly…" He told her and stared at her lips. He brought one hand up to cup her cheek and he leaned in hesitantly.

Pepper sighed as she felt his breath warming up her lips and she closed up that one last inch meeting his lips in a deep kiss. His lips were incredibly soft and his mouth was wet. She purred with relief as his hand traveled up to her hair.

Not half a minute after they were interrupted by her cell phone.

She looked at the screen and pressed the green button in annoyance. The screen read 'Sean'.

"_Hey honey. I'm coming up right now, okay?"_

Pepper's eyes widened in panic and she detached herself from Tony who looked like he didn't want to let her go.

"I'm in my office." She told him and stuffed her cell inside the pocket of her jacket.

She looked back at Tony with a panicked look and tried to wipe her lipstick from his lips. Tony did the same, only that he wiped the black mascara marks from beneath her eyes.

She was behind her desk two seconds before her husband emerged in. He didn't notice Tony who stood behind the door and he most definitely didn't notice how hurried he exited the office…

---

Review please!!!


	10. Lust

Charming Possibilities – Part Ten

Rating: R (I guess…)

Word Count: 1830

Part Ten

For the first time in over a year Tony was happy. He was so happy that he began singing while he was tinkering with useless pieces of his suit. He didn't realize it until Jarvis informed him that Iron Man was needed in Siberia. Several dangerous prisoners escaped the highly secured prison which was located approximately eighty kilometers from the Arctic Ocean.

He'd been kind of reluctant to leave home because he knew that he couldn't be too far away from Pepper. He didn't want to be away from her anymore. He needed her like he needed oxygen, but he'd sacrifice a few hour's worth to catch those criminals.

He came home tired and bruised sixteen hours after. He'd managed to catch five of the criminals but three of them escaped. He couldn't find them because of the darkness that claimed the Siberian land.

He was pretty sure that he had cracked a rib or two. His head also hurt like hell and he believed that he had a minor concussion. That would heal in a few days, but he literally itched to touch and kiss Pepper again.

First he would need some rest. Pepper can wait for a couple more hours.

---

"Honey…?"

Pepper recognized her husband's voice because no one else would call her like that in private. She was cooking some pasta when he suddenly came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She gasped a little and allowed him to scoop her up in his arms and carry her to their bedroom.

She cupped his face with both her hands and pressed a kiss to his nose. A sense of guilt washed her over because she'd have to decline his invitation for sex because her period had just begun.

She waited until he laid her against the sheets to take his hands in hers.

"I'm sorry but I'm not up for it… for a week, at least."

Sean raised an eyebrow, not understanding its meaning at first but then he nodded and kissed her temple tenderly. Pepper sighed at the feel of his lips against her temple but it wasn't because she liked it. Nor she disliked it. But anytime she was touched by him she'd imagine Tony instead of her husband.

She didn't know why but she felt guilty. She would have to figure out how she was supposed to have two relationships at the same time. It didn't feel right, but she needed to be loved by the man whose heart she had broken several times, as well.

She loved Sean but she would never love him like she loved Tony.

---

Tony woke up and straightened. A sudden pain in his right side made him gasp for air. He'd registered the pain last night but he'd been too tired to worry for it. He had cracked ribs before and Pepper was always there to patch him up. He didn't love the idea of taking a trip to the hospital. He'd check it out with Jarvis and he'd gladly hear him out about what he was supposed to do next.

Jarvis had insisted for a trip to the hospital, but he'd ignore his AI as usual. He would call Pepper. She'd know what to do and god help him, he really ached to see her and breathe her in.

---

Pepper was startled to hear her phone ringing, but she checked it out nonetheless.

"Potts…" Tony croaked out, his voice unusual breathless.

"Tony?" Pepper asked back, unable to hold back her panicked question.

"I nngh… need you here." He muttered.

Pepper checked her watch, took her coat and put her phone on speaker.

"Are you hurt, Tony? Please respond me."

"I'm… yeah. Need you to help me – patch me up. Please."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes." She responded and sped down the stairs.

---

Twenty minutes transformed into forty because of an accident on the highway, but she did everything possible to take another route. She ran as fast as she could and opened the door, only to see Tony on the couch, his arm wrapped around his middle.

"What took you so long?" He asked with a pained smile.

"An accident…" She tried to explain as brief as she could. "What happened?"

She moved to take the first aid kit from the bathroom when she heard him say.

"There was a mission yesterday. Siberia… It was really cold." He sniffed and looked at the hair on his chest. "A few prisoners escaped a high security prison there and they needed me to find them. I did, just… It was dark, like, _very _dark and I smashed myself into a damn huge tree while I searched for them in a forest."

Pepper returned with the first aid kit and found him laughing.

"It's hysterical, isn't it?"

"Yes, well. I thought you'd have x-ray vision in your suit."

"I have but it needs to be upgraded. Apparently it doesn't handle very well the temperatures below zero degrees. It would have been great, though. As I can recall…"

Pepper stopped him by pressing a finger to his lips. He stopped talking suddenly and the look on his face was giving her thrills. His eyes turned liquid with desire and she could feel the muscles in her cheek twitch.

"Stop talking and… and let me do my job."

He nodded slightly and resumed on watching her. He studied her face and her hands and her red, beautiful lips.

"Technically it's not your job." He told her with a smirk.

"What makes you think that I enjoy patching you up?" She asked with a small blush.

"Your lovely little blush there… You like touching me." He pointed out, though his voice was strained.

"I don't." She retorted with another red blush.

"Yeah…" Tony exhaled and enjoyed the coolness of her fingers across his skin. "We've discussed this before, so there's no point in hiding it, even though I love it every time you blush. Such as now, for example."

They were quiet for a long time afterwards until she finished patching him up. He waited until she got up before he grabbed her hand. She gasped at the touch of his warm fingers and she felt another shiver go down her spine.

"Help me put on my shirt." He told her with a serious expression.

She grabbed his dark t-shirt from the corner of the couch and helped him to get it on. He groaned a little when he had to raise his arms, but she comforted him by slowly massaging his well-built pectorals.

"What are you going to do now, Pep?" He asked with a smug grin when she didn't take her hands off him.

"I'm going to touch you." She told him and pressed her body against him. She heard him groan a little and it gave her strength to carry on.

"Just on my pectorals, cuz I know you like them but I'd really like for you to touch me everywhere…"

"Patience, Mr. Stark."

He shut off his mouth and let himself be carried on by the big wave.

He didn't complain to the fact that apparently she led him towards the couch. He didn't say a thing as she made him sit down and didn't even breathe as she settled on his lap. She kept touching him, though, arousing him further.

He closed his eyes in bliss as she kissed him slowly, exploring his mouth in every way possible. She nipped at his bottom lip before taking it in her mouth and biting it so softly he hardened even more. She felt him hard through his slacks but made no comment about the way he kept grinding his hips into hers. He was desperate, she knew that.

She let him touch her because she had always wanted to feel those strong hands on her. He squeezed her waist gently before stroking her back up to her shoulder blades, savoring the feel of her even through two layers of fabric.

Their lips parted due to the lack of oxygen and it was then when she spoke.

"He's probably going to kill me if he finds out about us…" She whispered and snuggled closer to him before burying her face in his neck for a few deep breaths.

Tony backed off to look at her with a stern expression written all over his face.

"He won't… I won't allow him to touch you. And he's not going to find out about us because we're going to keep it at minimum."

"What do you mean?" She asked him and moved her hand to the back of his neck, tangling her fingers into his hair.

"If we're going to do this, and I refer to 'sex', we're going to be doing it after office hours in your office. If he's at work we can work something out if necessarily, but I don't think it will be. Only if…" He smiled while he said this. "You miss me so much you can't focus on anything else."

Pepper smiled back and kissed the corner of his mouth lightly.

"Or if _you _miss me so much you can't focus on upgrading your suit." She retorted wittily.

"I agree with that." He whispered and leaned forward to kiss her, his tongue sneaky as he slid it into her mouth.

She moaned as he continued to French kiss her. He stroked her tongue with his, slowly teasing her by retreating and thrusting back in. It felt as if he was fucking her. She moaned again and again as his hand slowly stroked her hair and she grinded herself against him.

It wasn't long before she felt her orgasm let her breathless and stiff in his embrace. Her eyes were half-closed when she suddenly broke off the passionate kiss to gasp his name. His mouth was wide opened as he stared at her in complete awe. It didn't happen before but as he watched her come he suddenly felt ecstasy burning through his spine and throughout his entire body as he came in a series of hard spasms.

She couldn't move. No… she didn't want to. She felt as if she had been electrocuted and she believed that she was. But as she felt him tighten his arms around her she held her breath and waited until he stopped shaking.

She got off his lap after a few seconds and looked for a brief second at the wetness of his crotch. She could feel her cheeks burn and she couldn't really breathe.

"I think I'll head towards home." She managed to mutter breathlessly as she tried to breathe normally.

"Yeah, I… sure." Tony mumbled as he stood up trying to ignore the slickness of his boxers.

Pepper tipped his chin up with two fingers and kissed him softly before gazing into his dark brown eyes.

---

Good scene, eh? Review please!


	11. A Decision

Charming Possibilities – Part Eleven

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 600

A/N: Short, I know. But if you review next time it will be bigger and **better. **

Part Eleven

The silence was awkward while she kept gazing into his dark brown eyes. He knew that she was searching for something there and he believed that he knew whatever she was searching for.

"Can you promise something?" He asked her silently.

Pepper nodded and waited for his question, whatever it was.

"Please promise me you'll get a divorce if it turns out that this is what you want. But if it turns out that this is not what you want, please promise me that you won't break up with me without announcing me beforehand. If that will happen, I will accept it as it is. It will hurt but if you're not happy I'll accept anything…"

"Tony…" Pepper croaked out, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"I'm serious." He told her with a stern expression.

"You're all that I ever wanted, Tony. And I love you. But it will take a little time and I'm not even sure how I'm supposed to approach the subject to Sean. He thinks out relationship is going so well, I don't know."

"I can't believe I haven't noticed that I've been in love with you before Afghanistan. I mean it. I think I've noticed but paid no attention to it because I've never loved a woman before. I – I think I began loving you when I found out that you weren't here to just sleep with me like the other PA's."

"I am now." She stated with a smirk.

"Not quite exactly, Pep. But five minutes ago, that was..." He mimicked a jaw-drop. "That was amazing."

Pepper blushed and tried to hide herself from Tony, but he grabbed her hands just below her elbows and leaned in dangerously closer until his mouth reached her ear. She shivered instantly as his lips brushed against her earlobe.

"No other woman has made me come by simply kissing me." He all but growled into her ear.

Pepper bit her lip from keeping the gasp inside her mouth.

"We can practice it all day long if you want." He offered with a kiss to the juncture of her ear and jaw.

"Or we can do something entirely else."

Tony's eyes glittered as he stood back to look in her eyes.

"But not today. And besides I'm sure you'll find something… proper for the event, Mr. Stark."

"Oh, absolutely." He growled again as he kissed her lips eagerly. "You set the date. I pick the place."

Pepper grinned before speaking.

"Next Friday afternoon. My husband's gone in Washington for three days."

Tony wasted no time before he replied.

"Avalon most definitely…" He lost his reply against her lips again as they clutched at each other and kissed slowly, remembering Avalon all too well.

_I was thinking that we should say it was just Pepper and me alone on the island…_

---

**I think you all remember the last line from the end of the movie where Agent Coulson handed Tony his alibi. He was supposed to be on his yacht, but instead he grumbled something about Pepper and him alone on the island. What a great even that'd be for those two.**

**So… Avalon or not Avalon just yet? Review and I'll decide it whether or not you want a romantic first time lovemaking between these two.**


	12. Skin Hunger

Charming Possibilities – Part Twelve

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 1.230

Part Twelve

"You'd said you'd come with me this time, honey." Sean mumbled as he packed his shirts into one of the bags.

"I said that?" Pepper raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a wide smile.

"Yes, you promised even."

"Maybe I will come next time. I'm just not in the mood for a trip."

"Okay, but promise me you won't work yourself hard. Because we both know what happened last week when I found you with your eyes black. You're not getting any sleep, though. Try to relax and forget the work for these three days."

"I will." Pepper promised him with another smile, but she couldn't escape the butterflies in her stomach as she thought about Tony and what was supposed to happen that evening.

He grabbed his bag and stopped in front of her before kissing her softly, his lips rough. "I love you, baby."

Pepper avoided his gaze as she fixed his tie and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Take care of you. And don't forget to call me when you're there!"

Sean nodded silently and left. He couldn't shake the feeling of not being told 'I love you' back, though.

---

In Malibu, Tony was making sure he had everything prepared. He got up from his work bench and smiled. It was going to be a great day. And besides… he didn't really care that he was making a mistake. He thought that taking her away from her home and sleeping with her wouldn't be such a big mistake. She had promised that she would get a divorce if the affair they were having would turn out to be much more than expected.

He trusted her.

Anyway, he'd have to wait three more hours until he could finally touch her and kiss her and he couldn't wait much longer…

---

The dress she had chosen was simple, yet beautiful. It was a cream colored dress she had found in her dresser when she had looked for the one she would be wearing on the island. Her make-up was classy but she decided on a more natural look that evening. Instead of choosing a pair of stilettos she settled on some flip-flops.

She checked her watch before heading out her apartment. Half an hour until being able to kiss him and feel him… It had been a boring week without him and she couldn't wait to hold him in her arms.

---

The huge yacht, propriety of Tony Stark was anchored in the port at six o'clock. Tony arrived at five to six and he began pacing around restlessly until he was able to see Pepper's car coming to a stop a couple of yards from the yacht in the parking lot. He put on his best playboy smirk as he continued watching her.

His eyes glittered behind his sunglasses as he saw the dress she was wearing and he hurried towards her to help her with her bags. She smiled shyly at him when he wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I missed you." He admitted with another small kiss to her temple this time.

Pepper responded by quickly squeezing his hand.

"C'mon. Let's get this show on the road." He looked down at her and smiled when he saw the happiness in her eyes.

---

She had always loved to be Tony's assistant. She absolutely loved the luxury he had always put her in. There were times when she'd stay in the most luxurious suites at the most exclusive hotels all around the world.

Tony's yacht assembled one of those luxury suites and it was heaven on earth. He'd put her bags into one of the bedrooms and promised her that they would arrive in six hours. That meant that they would arrive around midnight, and frankly, she was okay with that because no one would recognize them.

She spent the next two hours in Tony's company outside. It was a beautiful weather and no clouds could be seen on the sky. Tony kept gazing at her between steering the wheel and watching the surroundings. It had been a little while since he'd been on his yacht.

"So…" He started. "I can't really remember… but have you ever visited my mansion there?"

"Once." She replied and moved closer to him. The wind was getting colder and she needed something… or someone to warm her up.

"Oh, cool. I thought that you haven't considering how firm you were when I suggested that the two of us were alone on the island when Obi died. Stupid alibi…" He whispered and looked anywhere but at her.

"I didn't mean to rip of that small bandage off your nose but Coulson would have thought that there was something going on between us. You know what I think about people seeing us like this."

"You don't like it." It wasn't a question.

"I don't like it." She affirmed. "But you've changed so much. Well, except that part when you started sleeping around again."

Tony chuckled and wrapped his arms around her.

"I was jealous, you know that." He admitted with a small apologetic smile.

"I suspected that. But wow… Tony Stark jealous… That's a very new concept."

"I know, I know… I don't like sharing you with another man."

"You won't have to anymore."

Tony smiled and proceeded to kiss her. She smiled against his lips, as well.

"You'd better run off to your bedroom before I ravish you here on the deck." He told her with a wink.

Pepper blushed and kissed him once again before going downstairs in her own cabin.

---

Four hours later Tony emerged downstairs and sighed when he saw Pepper asleep. But he took the opportunity to study her as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He smiled while he stroked her cheek and took in her freckles.

"Beautiful…" He whispered silently.

Pepper opened her eyes slowly and stared at him before grabbing his hand.

"Are we there?"

"Yes." He wasted no time before replying. "By the way, your husband called while you were asleep."

Pepper's eyes widened and she stood up, searching for her phone.

"Don't worry. I told him you came with me at a party. He won't even know."

"You did what?!"

"I told him th-"

"Oh god… I hope he doesn't suspect anything."

"No he doesn't. He told me 'Well, congratulations for managing to wrestle her out of the apartment. Wear her out.'"

"Is that what he said?"

"I'm not lying."

"You'd better." Pepper laughed at the expression on his face and kissed his cheek, giggling when she heard his sigh.

"Let's go, shall we?" He asked with a smile, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.

"Okay, Iron Man."

"Oh god… Don't call me like that or I'll have a hard-on anytime you mention it."

"Really?" She asked with an inquiring brow as she smoothed her palm over the ridge in his pants.

"Absolutely… yeah." He babbled and grabbed that hand in his. "No playing until we get there." He told her in a husky voice and Pepper shivered instantly.

"After you…" He pointed out at the door and he quickly followed her out of her bedroom.

_It's going to be a very interesting night…_

---

Review if you want a detailed NC-17 description of what they are going to do once they reach Tony's mansion, or if you want just a line like this '_and the door closed, leaving them alone in the dark'. _

If you review I'll bake you cookies!


	13. The Feel of Human Flesh

Charming Possibilities – Part Thirteen

Rating: NC-17 (for you guys)

Word Count: 1.760

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! I thought that I should update and not torture you with having to wait so much for some lovemaking between Tony and Pepper.

Part Thirteen

The lagoon was beautiful even in the moonlight and the palm trees were giving an exotic contrast to this side of island which was owned by nobody else but Anthony Stark. The wind was blowing softly when she first touched the delicate sand with her feet. It didn't take long for the cool water to reach her ankles and it felt like heaven.

Pepper bit her lip in hope to suppress a gasp as the cold waves kept splashing over her feet. Tony had left her there on the beach for a few minutes until he would move their luggage in the small vacation house. She glanced up at the trail which led to the house and she yawned gently into her fist. Even though she was really tired she wanted to make the next logical step into their relationship/affair, whatever they were having.

After a few more minutes she was surprised to be scooped up in Tony's arms because she had been too deep into her own thoughts. A shiver moved throughout her body as he pressed his lips to hers lightly, as if he was asking permission. Pepper moved her hands so that they were both in his hair and she applied more pressure to his warm, soft lips.

Tony kissed her back, using his tongue to get her just a little crazy. He spun them around and started walking towards the house with fast steps. He tripped over a stone or something and he broke their current kiss with an oath. Pepper lowered one hand to his shoulders and massaged him a bit, soothing him. He looked back at her with an amused look on his face, but his eyes told her everything. They were liquid with desire and they contained so much love inside of them it scared her a little.

She was confused, but she wanted him. Her husband was in Washington and they were in Avalon, a small island west of Los Angeles. There was nothing that could have stopped her from making love to him.

She closed her eyes and buried her nose into his hair when they reached the terrace, silently begging him to hurry up a little. He did so and in a few more seconds he was opening the door and he was practically clawing at her. Every muscle in his body hurt from not being able to touch her for so long, and as soon as he set her down on her feet, he pressed her into a glass wall, not caring if he was a little rough.

His body was a hot torture against hers as he pressed him tightly against her, feeling everything she was doing to him. He enjoyed the feel of being pressed against her because of her breasts which were pressing back into his own chest, making him increasingly hard. He kissed her again, his goatee scratching her mouth as he put all his soul into that kiss. Pepper tried to breathe and kiss him at the same time, but his desperate kisses were overwhelming and they zoomed the wetness between her legs all that more. After a couple of minutes of kissing her like his life was depending on it, he tried to slow down and kiss her gently, using his lips to prove her that he could pace himself. Pepper moaned gratefully inside his mouth and moved her hands down his chest, stopping to touch his arc reactor which was glowing softly through his shirt. Tony approved by groaning into her neck as he began licking and sucking at certain points, though he was being careful not to leave behind evidence.

One of his hands moved down her side and stopped just below her breast before gently cupping it in his palm. She heard how his breath became more pronounced as he slowly probbed her breast in his hand, stroking and pinching her erect nipple carefully.

"Bedroom…" He heard her breathless whimper as he proceeded to move them both to the modern bedroom.

He scooped her up in his arms again and she wrapped her hands around his shoulders and her legs around his waist as he moved them into the bedroom. He laid her against the cool bed before lying atop of her himself. They kissed again and again and each kiss became more heated than the previous one.

After a few minutes of kissing and roaming their hands over each other's bodies he felt her hands unbuttoning his shirt. She paused and stroked his warm skin, roaming over his chest and over his nipples, making him groan. She sighed in relief as his hands disappeared beneath her dress and she looked up at him when his hands reached the place they were looking for so desperately. Tony looked back in her eyes with a mischievous look on his face as he realized that she wasn't wearing any panties.

He kissed her again and kept her gaze as his hand touched her there, his warm, big hand cupping her thoughtfully before dragging three of his fingers over her clit. She didn't realize that she was clawing at his other hand until she felt him rub her softly. That's when her head fell back with an airy moan as he continued to rub his fingers against her clit. His breathing was getting from being slightly under control to being shallow and uneven as his hand traveled down further until he found the slickness of her arousal there.

He stopped for a moment and brought his hand up to his nose before inhaling deeply. His eyes turned pitch-black as she watched him lick his fingers clean before groaning out.

"Mmm, my favorite…"

Pepper bit her lip hard and decided to act. She reached up and pressed her hand against the bulge in his pants, her mouth getting dry at the feel of how hard he was. Tony groaned again and he looked down at her hand, begging her for more.

She quickly undid the button and drawn down the zipper before pushing his pants down his hips. She felt the beat of her heart up in her ear as she caressed the warm prick that rose between his hips. Tony looked at her astounded as she stroked him lightly from the tip down to the base of his cock and moaned a few profanities as she took his balls in her palm and gently rolled them. She looked up at him hesitantly and saw something she didn't quite expect.

Okay… so she had expected that he would be smirking at her, not staring at her, mouth wide-opened and clearly – consumed by what she was doing between his legs right then.

She didn't expect the gentle look of insecurity and vulnerability that crossed his handsome face. She didn't like it because that meant that she would get insecure as well. But there was something she could do to erase that look on his face.

She pulled her hand away from his prick and wrapped her hands around his shoulders before pulling him back atop of her. Tony closed his eyes as she began to kiss him again and he opened them just when he felt her get off his shirt and pants along with her dress.

They both lay naked against each other, their skin warming up very nicely. Tony managed to put on a smile on his face as she tipped his chin up with two fingers.

"You're not quitting now, are you, Stark?"

"I hope so, ma'am." He responded with a light pinch to her nipple that earned him a whimper.

"Make love to me." She whispered as he separated her legs with his.

She pressed her hand against his cheek and shuddered as he pushed himself into her for the first time. The intensity in his eyes threatened to drown her as he pushed himself all the way into her with a good hard stroke.

He exhaled out on his mouth and looked intently into her eyes, wanting the permission to move. Pepper wrapped her legs around his hips and brought his head down to kiss him deeply, moving her fingers through his slightly damp hair at the base of his neck.

He began thrusting slowly into her, enjoying the sound of her breathing as he stroked her deeply. Her fingers raked down his back and he buried his face in her throat and moaned softly. It felt so damn good to finally be there – to finally be able to provoke such reactions from the woman he loved.

After a few minutes of good rhythm he raised his face from her throat and looked at her, face damp with sweat, her mouth falling open as he thrust harder into her, making her cry out softly. She closed her eyes as he began thrusting harder and harder until he felt her cling to him. He slowed down until his thrusts only intensified each wave of pure pleasure as he watched her carefully. The look in his eyes as he made her come was so breathtaking that she had to close her eyes deeply and breathe through her mouth.

He resumed his hard thrusts after a few seconds and kissed her mouth until she moaned his name incoherently. It took him another thrust to make her come again and she clung onto him tightly, enjoying each and every mind-blowing pulse.

He wanted to hold on for one more but the pleasure had become unbearable and for Christ's sake, he wanted to come so badly. His dark eyes looked intently into hers and he whispered.

"Say it."

She immediately knew what he meant. She wrapped one hand around his shoulder and brought him closer to her until his face was a mere inch from hers.

"I love you." She whispered back and felt him thrust for once more before stopping all together. She felt him inside of her and she smiled against his lips for as long as he shuddered.

He collapsed against her and tried to regulate his shallow breathing. There was just one more thing he needed to tell her, so he raised his head and looked into her eyes.

"I love you, too."

---

So… cookies. Here they are! Review please and make my day!


	14. A Kiss Seems To Be The Best Way To Die

Charming Possibilities – Part Fourteen

Rating: R

Word Count: 950

A/N: I loved every single review! Sorry for not updating this sooner, but I have been busy with school and other things. I hope that you'll like this chapter, even though it's sooo short. Review if you want the next one to be longer, hehe.

Part Fourteen

Not long after whispering those words, he slid out of her and collapsed against the pillows with a muffled groan. He rolled onto his side and looked at Pepper. He pressed his palm to her stomach and blinked when he felt her shiver. He grabbed the duvet with one hand and pulled it on top of them before Pepper leaned against him, her breasts pressing against his chest. She kissed him slowly and threaded her fingers through his slightly damp hair. Tony wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her tighter against him, making sure that there was no space between their bodies. He liked it that way. He loved the way her lips yielded to his and the soft sounds she made when his tongue played with hers.

After making out for another few minutes, Pepper broke the kiss and nuzzled his nose with hers, making him smile, even though his heart felt heavy. He knew he wouldn't feel really alive until she would get a divorce. He also knew that the guilt will always be there anytime they were going to do this, whatever it meant.

If he didn't want to feel guilty, he would have to sort it out, eventually.

He thought about how he was supposed to approach the subject for a few minutes until she laid her head on his shoulder. He sighed a little when he felt her hand stop above his arc reactor. He let her stay like that for another few minutes until he opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm going to say something right now that I'll probably regret later, but it's absolutely necessary to be said."

Pepper rested her weight on her elbow as she stared at his face, increasingly worried.

"You know very well that I love being with you, being here and that it means a lot to me to be allowed to hold you in my arms." Tony started off, his voice trembling a little. "I'm… happy."

"Tony, wha-"

"No. Let me say this." He cut her off and looked her in the eye. "But I won't feel truly happy until you're going to be mine."

"Tony…" Pepper's voice was slow and a tad bit confused. "I'm yours, you know that."

"You know what I mean, Pepper. I don't want to be the other man you spend your life with, in secrecy." He said. "It's just… it doesn't feel the same way, I think. I'd rather wait until you'll get a divorce than screw everything up now. I don't want to ruin your life, your job and your reputation, Pep. I know that you care about what people think about you. I understand that because you're a very intelligent woman with principles and all of that, and I think that we'd better stop doing this until everything's over."

"I think I'm ready for... you know."

"You're ready to give up everything for a relationship, Tony?"

"Well, you know… not _everything_, but you get the idea." Tony smirked a little and stroked her cheek with his thumb.

Pepper leaned into his touch and considered his preposition for a few moments.

"I think you're right." She said after a couple of minutes. "I'll try to approach the subject to Sean, but within the next months. I don't want him to suspect anything, after all. He knows that I came with you at a party. I hope that you didn't tell him anything else." She warned Tony with a firm glare.

Tony chuckled then smiled.

"I'm sure that I didn't tell him anything that might compromise the nature of our relationship."

"I trust you."

"You'd better." He chuckled again and thought about kissing her before she moved out of his embrace and onto the other side of the bed.

"Hey…" Tony whispered indignantly. "I thought that we might ignore that rule for tonight, at least."

Pepper raised an eye-brow at him, a soft look on her face.

"All right, then." She whispered and moved closer to him in the darkness.

"Okay?" He raised his arm so that she could put her head on his shoulder, then wrapped it around her shoulder, his touch warm and secure.

"Yeah…" Pepper whispered against his chest and accepted the gentle kiss he pressed into her hair.

---

The morning light flooded the modern bedroom, awakening Pepper. She smiled when she heard Tony's occasional snuffle against her hair. Instead of waking him up she waited until he opened his sleepy eyes and looked at her for the very first time that morning.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." She told him, giggling.

"Morning to you, too, beautiful."

"Did you sleep well?" She asked him with a glint in her eyes.

"Yeah, I did." He didn't tell her that the reason he got any sleep that night was that she had been there, safely wrapped inside of his arms. "What do you want to do this morning?" He asked her with a small smile, hoping that she would ignore the rule the whole day.

Pepper kissed him lightly, enjoying his startled gasp as she slid her hand into the sheets to grope him.

Well, yeah, he understood what she wanted to do.

---

Review and once again, for those who review, I'll give you chocolate cookies, mint cookies, lime cookies and you name them. I'll give them to you. :)


	15. A Baby Will Not Tear Us Apart

Charming Possibilities – Part Fifteen

Rating: R

Word Count: 1580

Part Fifteen

Tony's eyes snapped open when Pepper stood in front of him with a smile on her lips. He was relaxing in a hammock when she appeared right next to him. She was wearing a two pieces swimming suit and a pair of designer glasses. She looked amazing. Tony couldn't believe how lucky he really was to have her.

"Hey, Potts, you're blocking my sight."

Pepper smirked at him and sat on the edge of the hammock. Tony smirked back and waggled his eye-brows suggestively.

"What?" She asked and tried to sit down on him.

Tony encouraged her by taking her hands in his while she straddled his thighs.

"Feeling any better now?"

Pepper bit her lip when she felt him getting hard under her.

"Yes, thank you."

"Yeah, well, no problem."

She waited for a few minutes and stared out at the ocean while his thumbs moved in sweet little circles on her hips.

"Am I really that attractive, Tony?"

Tony looked at her, a little confused through his sunglasses and thought about a good answer. Of course she was attractive, hell, she was beautiful, but she didn't seem to know that.

"You're the most beautiful woman to me, Potts."

"Right."

"Oh, so you don't believe me, huh?"

"I think you're just saying that to make me feel happy…"

"I'm serious." He told her and took off his sunglasses to give her that look of absolute seriousness, a look which he didn't show a lot. "So… if you think that I don't consider you attractive, then how in hell do I get hard so easily when you're near me? Go figure."

Pepper smiled shyly at him and pressed her palms against his chest, on the either part of his arc reactor.

"Besides, if you're getting a divorce then I will proceed to the next step, if you get what I mean."

"The next step being…?"

"You will know that soon enough. For now, I think it's better to just stay here and enjoy these moments."

"Uh-huh. It feels good." She whispered and looked down at him with another smile.

"What…? Seriously… you _do _like it, huh?"

Pepper smirked and looked at the path leading towards the house.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" She told him with a hidden smile, but she was certain that she knew.

---

**Five weeks later**

Tony didn't know how he managed it, but he did after all. He couldn't remember one time when he needed the comfort of a kiss so much. They agreed that if they went home, they would try to act natural, as if they weren't having an affair. At least until Pepper talked to Sean.

Well, they managed it quite successfully, but he was literally aching to kiss her. His lips were aching so much that he decided to kiss his own forearm. It felt weird because the hair on his forearms tickled his lips, and he suspected that when he kissed Pepper it felt the same way cause of his goatee.

"Jarvis, show me the semantics for Rhodey's suit again, please." Tony prompted to his AI, which obeyed within the next two seconds.

"Thank you." He was unusually polite that day and the AI seemed to enjoy it.

"You're very welcome, Mr. Stark."

"Gotcha." He grinned and took a pencil, ready to design Rhodey's suit a lot better.

---

**Seven weeks later**

"Mr. Stark, I really need your opinion about the plans for the new arc reactor." Pepper – wait, no, Mrs. Williams asked him that. He'd better pay attention so that he wouldn't call her Miss Potts by any chance.

The investors looked at him, clearly wanting to hear what he had to say. He took a sip of water from his glass, only to moisten his lips and said.

"I think I'll have to look them over, _again_. It seems that Mr. Richardson here doesn't take his job seriously."

Alex Richardson sent Tony a death glare and opened his mouth to argue.

"I don't know about you, Mr. Stark, but you don't rule this company any more. And I think that Mrs. Williams has a lot more professionalism than you ever had all these years you've been the CEO of this company."

"Gentlemen, I really don't think that arguing is necessary. Mr. Richardson, you can listen to what Mr. Stark has to say, or you can leave this meeting without any further comments."

"I agree with you, Mrs. Williams." Tony said and gave Pepper a nod.

Richardson only gulped in misery as he leaned back down into his chair.

"Good. You can continue now, Mr. Stark."

"Thank you, Mrs. Williams. About these plans, uh… I designed them, but unfortunately they've ended up in some wrong hands. I don't mean to hurt anyone's ego, but Stark Industries clearly needs some new engineers for these types of things. Because, frankly, I don't know what's worse. The fact that I gave them nearly three months ago and they're still in works, or the fact that no one's capable of finishing them in time."

"I think that we should look into that, Mr. Stark." Pepper told him and looked at Richardson who seemed to shrink in his chair.

"I heard that four 'geniuses' like I am, will graduate MIT next month. I'm really looking forward to meet them, and I really hope that you will consider my preposition, Mrs. Williams."

"I'll think about what you said." She said and motioned for him to go to his office.

A couple of minutes later she exited the meeting with a few files in her hand. She entered her office and saw Tony sitting down at her desk.

"I miss my old office." He said with a chuckle.

Pepper smiled a little before settling down the files and her phone.

"About those graduates…" She started, but Tony sat up and smiled at her, begging her to continue.

"Go on." He said in a weirdly conversational tone.

"I think I'll attend the graduation. When did you say it was?"

"Next month. Do you mind if I'll come with you?" Pepper raised an eye-brow and smiled at him suggestively. "And by come, I mean that I want to go with you, not the part when I beg you for a mind-blowing orgasm."

"Tony!" Pepper squeaked and pressed her palm to his mouth. "Shut up." She whispered, but giggled afterwards.

"What? Don't you tell me it isn't true? Cause I've wanted to beg you for that for a pretty long time now…"

"I know…" Pepper admitted with a sigh. She knew it because she missed him, missed his kiss and the way his cock moved inside of her.

"Did you talk to him?" He inquired and held his breath, anxiously waiting for her answer.

"Yes. A couple of times… he thinks that it'll pass and that I'm just stressed out from too much working. He had begged me to take a vacation with him, but I refused."

"He – what?!"

"You heard me, Tony. He isn't going to let me go so easily. He wants us to have a baby, you know, make our relationship stronger."

Tony was silent for a long time. She wondered if she had hurt him by saying those things, but it was the truth and she wanted him to know that.

"Do you want to have a baby?" His voice surprised her. It was gentle instead of angry.

"I don't know, Tony…"

"I meant… with him?"

"I don't think that it would work, after all. I told him that I'm busy with being CEO and that I just don't have time for a baby."

She noticed that his hands were trembling, oh so slightly. Her heart ached in so many ways, but she needed to repair what she said. She gently took his hands in hers and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"But if…" He started off, but she saw that he was sad and unable to look her in the eye. "If you'd be with me… would you want to have a baby?"

"With you?" She asked with a strange glint in her eyes, a happy one he noticed.

"Uh-huh."

"Do you want a baby, Tony?"

He hesitated.

"I, uh… not really necessary. If that's not what you want… but, you know."

"I always wanted to have a baby, Tony. But I couldn't. There were times I was so busy that I barely had time to go on a date, much less try to have a family."

"We can try, you know… be a family and all of that."

"You, Tony Stark, want to have a family all of a sudden? Where's the spontaneity?"

"It isn't there anymore. I just… I don't want anything but you and if that's okay with you, I would want a baby very much."

"Wow." Pepper smiled and cupped his face in her hands. "Who would have guessed?"

"No one, I think."

Pepper giggled and pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss, one they haven't shared in almost two months.

"I'll talk with him. I promise that it will sort out eventually."

"I hope it will."

---

A/N: Are there any special requests for cookies? Because I might bake some of my own today, and I don't know what type of cookies I want. Anyway… please review!


	16. An Accusation

Charming Possibilities – Part Sixteen

Rating: R (language)

Word Count: 1300

Part Sixteen

A baby will clear everything out, Tony mused. But the problem of Pepper getting a divorce was still there. He had waited almost two months, but he was pretty disappointed when he found out that Pepper's husband didn't want to even think about divorcing. Patience is sometimes hard to achieve when you can't have the one you love so deeply.

Tony thought about how he should spend his time without Pepper. He thought about upgrading Jarvis, but he wasn't in the mood. The last thing he wanted to do was to end up dying of sheer boredom. When he looked at the clock he noticed that it was past eight. His stomach protested when he stole a glance towards the kitchen. He needed something to eat, and _pronto_. Those online cooking lessons were a blessing after all…

_Two weeks after_

"I never knew you liked Mexican food, Virginia." Her husband observed while they ate in silence.

Pepper looked down at her plate and shrugged. She didn't like it very much. She liked Italian food.

"I don't. I didn't know what else I should cook for you." She responded and sat up with her plate in her hand.

"Well, we can always go out, you know…"

"I don't really want to go out, Sean. You know that I don't like to be seen out in public."

"You didn't mind with Tony."

Pepper's head snapped up at the hearing of his name, and a surge of panic shot throughout her entire body.

"What do you mean?" She asked, kind of breathless.

Sean wiped his mouth with a napkin when he finished his dinner and stood up.

"Well, when you used to be his assistant you were constantly behind him or beside him at every public event."

"That's not true." Pepper snapped and took a deep breath to calm herself down. She didn't want him to suspect something. "There were times when he needed me _beside_ him, such as at a benefit or at a party. I really couldn't blame him for his incapability of memorizing an entire list of guests. That's why he hired me and paid me for. I loved my job because it was fun, and please don't look at me like that."

Sean stared at her with his mouth opened while she spoke.

"But you've been comfortable like that." He countered.

"You have no idea." She huffed ironically at him, her eyes ablaze. "You don't have the right to judge me."

"I'm not judging you. I was just making an _observation_."

"Clearly you were."

"Why in hell are you so damn angry at me? So what? I don't get to have a chance to go out with my _wife _just because I want to? And wait… she yells at me for making a small meaningless observation!"

"It was not a meaningless observation! It was a damn accusation."

"It was _not_."

"Don't you dare to fucking lie to me!"

"Why would I be making an accusation? You didn't give me any reason to."

Pepper's eyes started to tear up. She felt so damn angry at him for implying that she liked to be beside Tony when they went to public events. And for god's sake… that was when she worked for him, not in the present.

Sean went to her and tried to wrap his arms around her, but she wouldn't let him.

"Just don't touch me right now." She warned him and turned away from him.

He felt as if he had been stabbed in his heart by the woman he loved. He didn't know why, but she didn't seem happy in the past few months. They were constantly fighting and he wasn't able to guess what she felt for him anymore.

"Come on." He tried with a gentler voice. "I want to make love to you." He whispered and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.

Pepper felt those words as a shock which ran through her. She didn't want to hurt him because for all that she's been through, she was sure that she loved him, even just a little. But she needed to end up this as soon as possible.

"I think we should break up." She told him, but didn't have the courage to face him.

She heard how he stopped breathing for a few moments until he composed himself.

"What… what do you mean?" He asked, his voice trembling softly.

_Oh god… He should stop trying to make everything worse._

"I think we ought to spend some time apart." Pepper tried to act cold, even though it felt difficult.

Sean hesitated and frowned deeply, his light brown hair muffled and his face hard.

"I – you don't love me anymore?"

"I do." She replied sincerely because she did. "But this isn't working for me anymore."

"Don't say that. _Please _don't _say _that. Did I do something wrong?" He asked with his brows up to his hairline.

"No, you didn't do anything. It's just… it's difficult to explain."

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I shouldn't have accused you of anything in the first place… Are you… are there troubles at the company? Is it your job, Ginny?" He babbled.

"No. It's not my job." _It's more complicated than that. _"I really think that we need to spend some time apart."

"All right… I, uh, take all the time you need and think about it. I don't want to lose you, Ginny. I love you."

Pepper hesitated before grabbing her purse, her keys to her Audi and exiting the apartment with fast steps. She couldn't help a few bitter tears that rolled down her face, but she quickly made them stop because she knew that something better was waiting for her – _someone_, she continued in her mind.

That someone was special. He had always been special and she had always loved him for better and for worse. And lately that someone proved to be a man who loved her back and respected her. He had changed for her and that meant a lot to Pepper, who was willing to give up everything for him.

When she got at her small mansion in the Hollywood Hills, she took a warm shower and got in her bed, silently wishing that the man she needed most she was there with her.

Tony, on the other hand, couldn't sleep. His soft gaze was focused on the gold ring in his palm, its medium-sized diamond sparkling in the light coming from his arc reactor. He smiled and pondered how his world changed in a matter of just a few months. He was sure that he was a damn lucky bastard but he knew that he deserved this, deserved to love and deserved to be loved in return. It was about time… He just needed one more thing. The sooner she divorced the sooner he would pop the big question, and he was _so _looking forward to that event.

---

A/N: So, here you go. Thank you for your wonderful reviews and for your wonderful suggestions. I must admit that the naked Tony cookie was so damn tempting, guh! I'll continue delivering cookies for you if you review, and yeah, the Dark Side really recruits new cadets. You should all join the Dark Side. :)


	17. Champagne

Charming Possibilities – Part Seventeen

Rating: NC-17 (sex, hell yes)

Word Count: 1.034

Part Seventeen

Pepper woke up to the sound of a thunder. She looked at the clock on her nightstand and groaned. It was about two in the morning and she felt like hell. She stood there awake for another fifteen minutes until she grabbed her phone and dialed Tony's number. He answered from the second ring.

"Is everything all right, Potts?" She heard him ask a little too quickly. His anxiety was new.

"Yeah… sort of. I broke up with him." She whispered and sniffed.

She heard how the sheets rumpled as he stood up.

"Wait just a second… you – you _broke up _with him?" His voice sounded so happy.

"Yeah, I did. I told him that we ought to spend some time apart and that we should break up."

"Where are you now?" He asked.

Pepper stifled a yawn in her fist before replying.

"I'm at my house in the Hollywood Hills." She told him, giddiness settling deep inside of her stomach.

"I'll be there in an hour, maybe less. Goddammit, Potts, I'm so fucking happy."

"I am, too."

"We should fucking celebrate. What do you want me to bring over? A bottle of champagne, some red wine, you name it."

"Hm…" She considered it for a couple of seconds, and she replied with a small smile. "You can bring a bottle of champagne and some strawberries."

"Your favorite, Potts?" Tony asked while he quickly buttoned up his brown stripped shirt.

"Well, let's say that I have some other… preferences right now."

Tony smirked. He knew exactly what she was thinking, so he decided to ask while he was at it.

"Strawberries or bananas?" He quickly went to his bedroom to retrieve some condoms.

"Kiwi, actually." He frowned at that before stuffing in his pocket six condoms with different tastes.

"Ha ha, very kinky Potts. You know that I like to celebrate before digging into things."

Pepper stifled a laugh in her pillow as she listened to his happy voice.

"Yep, enough dirty talk on the phone, Stark."

"Sure, Potts. You'll be mine." He warned with a smile.

"I don't doubt that."

"See you." He whispered before hanging up.

There were three things she wanted to do as soon as he arrived at her house. One: she wanted to kiss him and wrap her arms around him. Two: she wanted to make love to him. Three: she wanted to fall asleep in his arms.

Yep, and she was so damn sure that that was going to happen as soon as he entered her door.

---

She waited and waited and finally, somewhere around half past three he arrived with his arms full of bags. She raised her eye-brows at him and beckoned him to come forward into her personal space. She helped him with the bags before turning to him. His deep chocolate eyes were soft as he stared at her, a wild fire burning deep within them. He hadn't said anything all the time they stared at each other, only waiting for her to make the first step and final step.

"Damn everyone else." She muttered as she crushed her lips to his harshly.

Tony made an inarticulate sound before wrapping his arms around her waist to keep her in place for his deep kiss. Pepper wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her body against his impatiently.

"Pepper…" Tony gasped as she broke off the kiss. "I need you so much." He whispered, his eyes still closed.

Pepper didn't know whether or not he knew what he was saying, but found out that she didn't really care.

"Then come this way…" She whispered back to him as she led him towards the nearest wall.

His lips were quivering slightly as he pushed her against the wall and she moaned a little when he grabbed her leg before he wrapped it high around his hip. She could feel him hard inside of his slacks, so she slowly moved her hand until she found his fly. She quickly unbuttoned the buttons before digging her hand inside of his pants.

He gasped when she grabbed him, and he swore that he hadn't been that hard in ages. He fumbled for his wallet until he found it before fishing out a condom. Pepper took it from him with a smile while he continued to kiss her neck and bite at her collarbone. His hand moved inside of her panties to stroke her. He actually gasped when she managed to put the condom on him.

He slowly raised her up against the wall, smiling when she wrapped her legs around his waist. He wasted no time before entering her with hesitation. She was so tight, so damn tight, but she slowly relaxed against him. He couldn't hear anything but the maddening pulse in his own ears as he stood there and panted. She grasped at his hair and looked in his eyes, silently begging him to move.

Tony swallowed hard a little before withdrawing and pushing himself back inside of her with a quick push. She watched his eyes as he made love to her. It was slow but intense and she couldn't take her eyes off his. He echoed her soft gasps as they moved together, kissing occasionally and grasping their bodies closer to each others. Three months away from each other were too much. It was a torture.

He'd rather be kidnapped again than spend another three months without her. Okay… so he was just joking, but he knew that it meant something…

Coming in his arms was the best thing that she ever experienced. She never felt the same way with any other man. It was a great experience to watch those chocolate brown eyes widen in amazement as she broke apart in his strong arms. The thrill of it made him thrust erratically, his shallow breath coming in gasps.

She kissed his forehead and moved her fingers through his hair while he thrust two more times before stopping altogether. The intimate kiss they shared afterwards told her everything – told her that he absolutely felt the same way.

---

Review, duh!


	18. A Midnight Phone Call

Charming Possibilities – Part Eighteen

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 500

A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I've been busy with school and school related things mostly. I hope you enjoy this. Read and review!

Part Eighteen

"So what are you going to do now?" Tony asked Pepper as he slowly stroked her naked back.

Pepper shrugged and snuggled deeper into his chest. She began to drift into sleep, but before sleep won, her phone began to ring. She stood up confused and gripped the sheets to cover her exposed chest. She knew who was calling her at that late hour of the night, and apparently Tony did too.

"Hello?" She said quietly to the phone and turned her back towards the billionaire.

"This is Sean, please don't hang up." Pepper sighed and did as told.

"Why did you call at this hour?" She demanded, her voice steel-like.

"I couldn't sleep because I kept turning things over and over in my mind. I was thinking about what you've said and I –"

"Listen, Sean, I'm entirely convinced that this discussion is worthless. I don't want to hurt your feelings, understand that, but I'm not that type of woman who imagines herself having three kids by thirty-five. I _am _thirty-three now, and I couldn't just leave my job just for taking care of a baby. I mean… I'm the head of this company. I'm the one responsible for everything, and I couldn't leave it like that…"

There were a few moments of silence before Sean spoke.

"Are you sure there's nothing else?" Pepper swallowed. "Do you maybe love… someone else?"

Pepper closed her eyes tightly and almost jumped when she felt Tony's hand on her shoulder. She turned to him quickly before giving him a small smile.

"Maybe I do." She told him and prayed she was right.

"Alright, I… I think that settles everything." Sean cleared his throat. "Mistake number one: asking you to dance with me. Mistake number two: being blind enough not to see this. I'm just curious… who's the other one?"

"It doesn't matter."

"He'd better be a better man than I am."

"He's not necessarily better than you are."

"Yeah, right… So, um… should I contact my lawyer, set something up with him?"

"That would be good."

"All right, Ginny. I'll have him call you when it's all ready. We can talk over the details later."

"Okay… Bye."

With a small sigh, Pepper set the phone aside before moving back into Tony's embrace.

"Everything's okay?" Tony asked after a few moments. He nuzzled his nose into her hair a little and smiled, though worriedly.

"It's over… I mean… it will be in a few weeks."

Tony exhaled, extremely happy about it. He knew that as soon as Pepper would be done with that man, he'd ask her to marry him. Or… he'd give her a few more months to get used to her old surname before he'd ask her to me Mrs. Stark.

"Let's hope." He whispered and kissed her softly.

**--- Review for a really fast update!**


	19. The Divorce Meeting

Charming Possibilities – Part Nineteen

Rating:PG-13 (language)

Word Count: 1310

A/N: Oh, wow! I woke up this morning and noticed how many reviews there were in my inbox. Believe me, I was speechless. I was expecting three or so reviews, actually, hehe. But seeing as you reviewed my story, I'd like to thank you all very much. And I'd be so happy if you'd review each time. ;)

Part Nineteen

**Two days later…**

"Hi." Sean mumbled as he ducked into the lawyer's office.

"Hi." Pepper mumbled back, clearing her throat and looking at the files she had in her hands.

Sean scratched a little at his head and pointed towards the empty seat near Pepper.

"Can I stay there?" He asked and continued scratching at his head awkwardly.

Pepper nodded and bit her lower lip. She had had the fain impression that that day would be awkward, but paid no mind because she knew in her heart that it was the right thing to do.

"When were we supposed to meet with them?" He asked.

Pepper glanced at her classy watch for a moment and pretended to think about his question.

"About fifteen minutes ago. Maybe they got caught in traffic. It's terrible at this hour."

"Ah. Yeah, it is."

Pepper tapped her foot impatiently on the floor, silently praying that the lawyers would be there faster. That would make her so happy, especially if they'd take away all the awkwardness floating between them.

After a few minutes Sean spoke.

"Will you marry that guy?"

Pepper seemed flabbergasted as she turned her face towards Sean. She looked him in his eyes, seeing more than just hurt in them. She thought for a moment that there was betrayal in them as well.

"I don't know. I might." She answered honestly, because right now she was so tired of everything.

"Is he perhaps… younger than me?"

The redhead bit her lip again. She didn't feel like answering those meaningless questions, but if that would make Sean feel happier, she'd be happy to answer them.

"No he's not." She whispered. Tony was two years older than Sean, but ten times more attractive than he was.

"Have you slept with him?" The question hung in the air for approximately fifteen seconds before the office door opened, revealing their lawyers: Greg Paulson and Eva Johnson. Greg was Sean's lawyer, and Eva Pepper's. Eva was forty-two, but looked as if she was about thirty, and Greg was forty.

"Hello, Mr. Williams, Mrs. Williams."

"Hello." They both said at the same time.

Greg offered his hand for Sean to shake it, and then kissed Pepper's hand. Eva just smiled politely before taking a seat.

"So… have you two talked about the details?" Greg asked them as he sat down on the other chair.

"We have." Pepper said and looked over at Sean who said nothing. Instead he nodded faintly before listening to their lawyers.

After perhaps half an hour, the meeting was over. The details were settled and the divorce papers were safely placed inside Pepper's Vuitton purse. As they descended the stairs Pepper noticed a very familiar man waiting for her, arms crossed and leaning against a silver Audi. She swallowed hard as sweat began to form at the base of her neck. She steeled her nerves and wiped her sweaty palms on her suit pants.

Tony had been waiting for her for about ten minutes until she showed up. He smiled a little when he saw her and proceeded to take off his sunglasses, but quickly reconsidered his decision as Sean came following her. He gritted his teeth and uncrossed his arms, waiting for what would be coming next. He kept his expression neutral as Sean opened the door for Pepper. The woman threw him a panicked look that said 'what the fuck are you doing here?' Tony merely shrugged and grinned at the man who looked suspiciously over at him.

"Tony Stark." The billionaire said as he offered his hand. Sean shook it with restraint and set his jaw. What was Stark doing there he had no idea.

"I'm Sean." He said and resumed on staring at Tony with a look of total confusion on his face.

Tony took of his sunglasses and threw them carelessly onto the front seat of his car before glancing over at Pepper. She looked at him, confusion plastered all over her face as well.

"I came looking for you, Pepper." Tony said and pretended to sound nonchalant. "For once in my life I come to the company and find out that you're not there. Your assistant told me where to find you, so I came, and here I am. I need your help because I found some errors in that project you've asked me to look over." He then looked over at Sean who looked like he wanted to faint. "And I didn't want to wait for the next meeting…" Tony trailed off and patted Sean gently on his shoulder.

"You alright, buddy?" He inquired and frowned when the man didn't respond.

"Sean…" Pepper whispered when she saw him so tensed. "You'll sign the papers when you're ready. I still have to bring my things back from the apartment."

"I know…" He exhaled and looked Tony dead in the eye. Tony looked back, his eyes dark and unreadable. Sean seemed satisfied with what he saw in Tony's eyes, so he let his eyes fall down to Tony's chest where his arc reactor glowed softly under his thin dark shirt.

Tony cleared his throat uncomfortably, hoping that Sean would stop staring at his reactor so intently.

"Sorry…" He mumbled. "I'm a little sick. Cold beer isn't good for my throat." Tony said and turned towards Pepper.

Sean nodded knowingly. "Yeah, cold beer does that to me as well. I think I'm leaving, assuming you have… problems to work on."

"I wouldn't call them 'problems'. They're more likely errors, you know… Stark Industries isn't Stark Industries without its best CEO." Tony winked over at Sean and gave Pepper a smile.

Pepper smiled back and clutched her Blackberry to her chest.

"I'll call you later, okay?" Pepper told Sean as Tony gave her some papers.

"Right." The man whispered and turned to leave. He couldn't help the feeling that he was missing something… something very important.

After Sean was out of earshot Tony allowed himself to smirk at Pepper.

"What were you doing here?!" The woman asked, her voice raising a few octaves. "He could have figured it out!"

"I know, I know…" Tony chuckled and wrapped his hand around her wrist gently. "I came here to see if you were alright. You walked out on me yesterday and I figured you were mad at me for some reason."

Pepper frowned and then snorted.

"What made you think that?"

"You didn't kiss me when you left." He explained.

"Oh…" Pepper smiled, though her chest tightened a little. She didn't know that she could affect him by simply not giving him a kiss when she left.

"Okay… no biggie. So, what happened?"

"You know that he's like… watching us right now." Pepper whispered and nodded at his right.

"Ah. Let me take you out someplace. What do you say about Koi?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

"Okay… tonight at seven, don't forget."

"I won't."

Tony gave her a crooked smile before ducking into his car. He was damn tempted to give her a small kiss on her cheek, but he figured out that he didn't want to be caught by some stupid paparazzi.

Pepper, on the other hand went to find her car, smiling to herself. It was going to be a long day.

--- Oh, well, that's it for today. Read and Review. The Koi Restaurant is a pretty nice place in Los Angels. IDK, just my opinion.


	20. Unconditional Love

Charming Possibilities – Part Twenty

Rating: kind of R

Word count: 1.536

Part Twenty

Pepper couldn't decide what to wear because her closet was half full with business suits. There were a few formal dresses and two informal ones. She decided on a black knee-length polka-dotted dress because it was tight and hugged her curves pretty nicely. She chose a black pair of flats and a simple make-up. On her way towards her bathroom she spotted her favorite bottle of perfume standing on a shelf.

After two hours she was finally ready for her dinner with Tony.

Tony, on the other hand began to tap his fingers on the steering wheel of his Audi. He glanced at his watch, irritated. _Another traffic light. Great. _If he didn't manage to arrive in fifteen minutes Pepper would arrive there before him.

"Come on!" He began to shout to the driver in front of him, who apparently hadn't seen that the traffic light changed to green.

After what seemed an eternity he pulled his car in the restaurant's parking lot and got out hurriedly. Before entering the restaurant he glanced upwards at the dark sky. Apparently it was going to rain. As he made his way towards the receptionist he saw someone he didn't expect to see there.

_Sean Williams. What the fuck is he doing here?_

He kept his eyes glued to the bar in front of him as he passed by Pepper's soon to be ex-husband. The back of his neck began to get sweaty as he realized that Pepper was supposed to arrive any minute. He tried to act casual and breathe normally, but when he noticed Pepper in a stunning polka-dotted dress his jaw simply dropped.

She didn't see him as she made her way towards Tony. She just smiled a little and simply entered a separate room after Tony.

"Pepper, don't look behind you now." He warned silently while he helped her get seated.

"Why?" She whispered back at him.

"Your husband's here."

"What?!" Pepper shrieked and covered her mouth. "Tony… I told you he would suspect something." She wailed.

"Calm down. He probably has a date or something."

"Calm down?? _Calm down?! _ Tony, he might know, and we might end up in the tabloids and on every news channels, and you act like it's _nothing?!_"

Tony sighed in exasperation and grabbed her hand. Pepper instantly shivered as his warm hand enveloped hers in a strong, comforting grip.

"If he suspects anything, we'll tell everyone this was a business meeting. Anyway, you're the CEO of my company, Potts, and I'm your biggest share-holder. We can discuss business, right?"

"Yes, we can, but not like this. Not in a restaurant. And don't think I have missed this." She said as she looked around herself.

The entire room was empty. They were alone in there.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" He asked softly and looked down at their hands.

Pepper seemed to know what Tony was thinking right then, so she squeezed his hand a little tighter.

"No, you're right. This _is _what I wanted, but I didn't think he would be here."

"Neither did I." Tony murmured and stroked his thumb in a little circle over her delicate skin of her hand.

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes until Tony spoke.

"You look gorgeous." The billionaire said with a shy smile.

Pepper blushed a little and tried to hide it, but Tony noticed it.

"Thank you, Tony. You're handsome as always."

Tony hummed happily and kissed her knuckles.

"Shall I tell Mr. Tanaka to bring us the surprise?"

"The surprise?"

"Well, yeah… I passed by earlier today and talked to him."

"I hope it's nothing preposterous."

Tony looked abashed for a moment, before shaking his head. He quickly disappeared on a door, leaving Pepper alone in the big restaurant room.

He came back after two minutes, smiling.

"You're happy. Special occasion, Mr. Stark?" Pepper asked with a sweet smile.

"Well, yeah." He replied back quickly.

"And what is that?" She asked quite curious.

"I'm having dinner with the woman I'm in love with. What else can make me happier, Miss Potts?"

Pepper's heart soared when she heard those words. She couldn't contain the smile that crept on her red lips.

"I'm really curious. You didn't give up on calling me Miss Potts every since I married Sean, Tony. Why?"

Tony chuckled a little, and then turned serious.

"I couldn't." He whispered his voice slightly hoarse. He suddenly felt his throat tighten. "I couldn't imagine you being happy with another man, Pepper."

Pepper looked down at the lit candle on their table before smiling gently up at him.

"_You _make me happy, Tony." She whispered.

Tony moved to grab her hand again, but the door suddenly opened and the chef emerged in with two plates. He settled them on the table with a big smile and returned back to his kitchen.

Pepper looked down at her plate and moaned in delight. _Caviar and lobster. Her favorite._

"Wow…" She heard Tony mumble. "I think I've never heard a sound so obscene while I was having dinner before, Potts."

Pepper just raised her eyebrow and smiled suggestively at him.

"You realize you're turning me on right now, Miss Potts, don't you?"

"Uh-huh." She smirked and slowly caressed his calf with her foot before going higher and between his thighs.

Tony almost jumped when he felt her foot caressing his own, and better yet, he moaned when she touched him lightly between his thighs. A thousand of fantasies invaded his minds, but he settled on just one. He imagined that he pushed off the table everything that was blocking his way before settling Pepper on it and having his way with her on that wooden table. Once again he moaned because those images only made him harden further.

"Pepper…" He whispered hoarsely. "I'm…" He moaned once again. "I don't want to ruin these Armani slacks."

"Okay…" She smiled sweetly before dropping her foot on the floor once again, leaving Tony a little dazed.

They continued eating, until Tony brought up a question that was eating him inside.

"How did the meeting with the lawyers went?" He looked at her briefly before taking a bite from his lobster.

"Oh – it was brief." Pepper replied and shrugged. "Sean doesn't want anything. Imagine that."

"What could he want?" He asked a little amused.

"I don't know… Money, I guess."

"Uh-huh. It's better that way, trust me." He winked at her devilishly.

"I'll have him sign those papers tomorrow. I promise."

"You don't have to promise me anything. I know you will, but it's just… I can't really wait any longer."

"I understand that…"

They looked into each other's eyes for a couple of seconds before the chef emerged in again, this time carrying the dessert. This time they ate in silence.

At about a quarter past ten they finished talking and discussing about Pepper's divorce. Tony stood up, avoiding her eyes and helping her into her jacket. A waiter came to clear the table. While he was cleaning it, Tony pulled out a one hundred dollar bill from his wallet and dropped it into his front pocket. The Japanese guy nodded in a sign of 'thank you' before leaving them alone.

Pepper looked at Tony, who seemed to avoid her eyes. She told herself that she had to wait until at least they were out of the restaurant before asking him what troubled him. This time they exited the restaurant by the back entrance, so that Sean couldn't see them. When Tony opened the door they saw that it was raining pretty heavily. He called a valet to bring the car around, and while they waited in silence, Pepper moved closer to him until she rested her head on his shoulder.

Tony looked down in surprise and swallowed when she wrapped her arm around his waist.

"Tony…" She whispered.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Tony stared at her with a soft expression and gave her a gentle kiss, the swipe of his tongue on her lower lip leaving her weak at knees. When the valet brought the car around Tony hesitated. Pepper looked intently in his eyes and Tony understood immediately what she wanted.

When they were safely into his car, Pepper laid her hand atop of his on the gear shift until they reached his mansion. The look in his eyes intoxicated her as he swiped her off her feet and into his arms. She managed to get rid of his tie by the time he reached the top of the stairs and into his living room. He made a move towards the other stairs, but Pepper smiled and told him.

"Not there. On the couch." His frantic kiss proved more than words would have, so Pepper let him lay her onto the couch and undress her slowly.

The way he loved her slowly the minutes afterward proved what his words were supposed to mean: that he really couldn't wait any longer for her to by truly his.

---

Okay… Here is a photoshopped picture of Tony and Pepper at the Koi Restaurant. .com/albums/uu82/anthony_rdj/?action=view¤t;=

**Reviews are like candies to me! **


	21. Suspicious Thoughts

Charming Possibilities – Part Twenty-one

Rating: PG-13 (language)

Word Count: around 700

Part Twenty-one

Pepper woke up suddenly, and realized she was in Tony's bed – alone. She opened her eyes sleepily and looked at the other side of the bed which was empty. She hoped it didn't have any connection to the fact that Tony barely looked her in the eye last night when they made love.

She got up from the bed, grabbing Tony's t-shirt from behind his pillow. She put it on while walking into his master bathroom. She looked at her image in the mirror and shook her head. Her hair was in complete disarray and there were a few bite marks on her neck and jaw. Fortunately, it was Saturday and that meant no work for the day.

The red head glanced once more at her reflection and turned on the hot water. A shower would make her feel better.

Tony, on the other hand, was drinking his coffee and reading an old newspaper in the kitchen. He stared at the headline for about five minutes before realizing that his coffee had gotten cold.

"Fuck." He muttered, got up and walked towards the coffee machine.

After he had drank another cup of coffee he grabbed one of the bagels which stood on the counter and took a bite out of it. _I shouldn't have left Pepper alone. She must think I'm mad right now, or something. _

He finished his bagel before practically jogging out of the kitchen and into the living room. He didn't expect to find Pepper there, so, he stopped in his tracks, startled. The woman looked at him curiously, her eyes suspicious.

"Morning." He greeted softly and sped downstairs and into the privacy of his workshop.

Pepper waited patiently for him to come back upstairs after a couple of minutes, but he didn't. She tapped her long nails on the glass table before getting up and heading for the terrace.

_I wonder what has gotten into him. He's acting strange, and I don't have an idea about what must be nagging him inside._

She hugged herself as the cold wind touched her bare skin, and stood there and watched how the waves crashed into the tough rocks below the mansion.

He had avoided her all day long, and Pepper couldn't take it anymore. At seven pm, after finishing her dinner, she walked calmly into his workshop, only to find him slouched over his desk, eyes closed as if he was asleep.

She walked gently to him and shook him by his elbow a little. When he didn't stir, she patted his shoulder blade.

"What's up, Potts?" Tony mumbled and raised his head three inches from his desk.

There was an imprint of his keyboard into one side of his face.

"I'm leaving." She said dryly.

The billionaire raised his head even further more and stared at her for a couple of seconds.

"I'm… How long did I sleep, Jarvis?" He asked and looked over at the ceiling.

"Four hours and twenty-seven minutes, sir."

"I wasn't planning on that." He muttered and looked at Pepper before pulling her in his arms.

Pepper pushed her hands against his chest in a sign of protest, but Tony didn't lose his grip on her waist. He kept pulling her until she was in his lap. She swallowed hard when he brushed his goatee on her uncovered cleavage, above her breasts.

"Tony…" She began to protest, but her breath caught up in her throat when she realized she was still mad at him for ignoring her all day.

She pushed herself off his lap and took a few steps back, leaving Tony yearning for her touch.

"Potts, come back here." He ordered but didn't quite look in her eyes.

"No." She muttered quietly. "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

**A/N: Phew. Short chapter… I know… I know. I promise it will be longer next time, but you'll have to review for an incredible fast update! **


	22. Guilt

Charming Possibilities – Part Twenty-two

Rating: PG-13 (language)

Word Count: 1.400

Part Twenty-two

"What's wrong? Tony echoed and stared at her hard.

Pepper stared back at him, determined to find the truth.

**The day before – 1 pm.**

Tony walked inside of Stark Industries' headquarters, half an hour after he talked to Pepper. He went to his office and turned on his monitor. He pulled out of his breast pocket a blue velvet box and stared at it for a couple of minutes until a knock at the door made him push it back inside of his pocket.

"Yeah?" He asked and opened a SI project he hadn't finished in ages.

The door opened only to reveal Sean Williams looking like death warmed over.

"Hey. What can I do for you?" Tony asked as gently as he could and got up to his feet.

Sean closed the door after him and stumbled forward in front of Tony. The superhero straightened his back and looked Sean dead in the eye.

"What can't you do?" Sean spat.

Tony flinched momentarily before putting on his best poker face.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Williams, but I don't have any idea about what you're talking about."

The man pressed a finger into Tony's chest and gritted his teeth before muttering.

"Why did you come to see Ginny at noon? And I want to know the truth."

"Ginny?" Tony asked with a laugh and pushed the man's hand aside. "I believe I told you once. There was an error over a few papers and I needed her to repair that mistake."

"Couldn't you do it yourself?"

"I'm sorry, but no. I couldn't. You see, Pepper runs this company. She's the big brain and all of that now. I'm just a guy, who happens to sit next to her in the meetings room, and my name is on the side of the building and on everything we create, so yeah. I needed her."

Sean nodded briskly but didn't stop looking at Tony as if he wanted to kill him.

"What's your problem, anyway? Haven't you two just got a divorce?"

"I haven't signed the papers just yet, smart ass."

Tony stared at the man hard and balled his hands into fists. He was practically shaking with anger and it took a lot of effort from not punching the guy in his face.

"Watch your language, or I might call the security. Threatening the most important superhero on the west coast isn't the smartest thing to do. You don't know when I'll show up to your humble home and blast your roof off."

That was it for Sean. He grabbed Tony's lapels and pushed him into his desk, his lower back colliding with the glass table, causing a deep pain to rush through his spine.

"**You **watch your language, superhero boy. You might have won **Pepper's **heart, but you'll break her for sure."

Tony opened his mouth to speak but was cut off again.

"She's worth so much more than you, self-absorbed asshole."

"It's not what you think, Mr. Doctor." Tony muttered and punched the guy straight into his nose.

How dare he speak about Pepper and him? How dare he say he would break her?

"That's all I wanted to know, Mr. Tony Stark." He turned to leave, his nose full of blood. "You'd better be in love with her because if you're not, you sure as hell don't deserve her heart."

"It's not your business whether or not I deserve Pepper's heart. I've never touched her like you used to before you two broke up!" Tony's voice raised eight octaves.

"So you know why we two broke up. She told you, didn't she? She told you what happened between us when you fucked her. I bet she thought she meant something for you when you were inside of her… I bet she thought you two were making love, but no. You're YOU, Mr. Stark, and everyone knows exactly how you are, especially with girls."

Tony opened his mouth for a few times and closed it just as many times.

"Just tell me. Let me know if it's just a joke for you."

"It's not a fucking joke. And you don't have a fucking right to show up here and assault me, both verbally and physically." Tony walked towards him and pushed him into the door before leaning in dangerously close. "You don't have an idea… don't have a fucking idea on what happened between us two. You don't know how I felt when I found out that she left that Christmas party with you, don't know how I felt when she told me she had plans for Christmas – plans that didn't include me whatsoever. You don't have a fucking clue about what happened when I heard you two got engaged. It tore me apart. It fucking tore me apart. And if it's not enough, you should know that she loved me way before you two even met. Hell, she leaned in to kiss me one night at a benefit, in the same place where you proposed to her."

"Your point being?"

Tony lost it then.

"I fucking love her. She loves me. And we're fucking happy together. We've been that for a while, while she tried to convince you to get a divorce. Boohoo. I'm sorry to ruin your hopes, buddy, but she's mine and I love her. Believe it or not, I'm in love with your wife."

"When did this happen?" The broken man questioned.

"You want to know when did this happen?"

Sean nodded and looked at him, his eyes shining strangely.

"It happened when I fucking came back from fucking Afghanistan, that's when. That's when I realized I loved her, and you just got between us, and she thought it was better because she thought I would break her heart. But no… this is way out of your league, buddy. If anything slips away from what we've just discussed, you had better run away far from me because you don't know what I could do to you once I have you three thousand meters over the Pacific Ocean, do you get me?"

Tears slipped from Sean's eyes as he detached himself from the angry billionaire.

"I wasn't born that way, Mr. Stark. I wasn't born to have anything at my reach. If I could choose who I want to be, and how much money I would want, believe me, I would choose to be like you. Unfortunately, I can't. But then it's just you, leaning over your expensive car, wearing your branded sunglasses and acting cocky as usual. If you're so rich, why didn't you choose another woman, Mr. Stark? Why did you choose Virginia? Why did you choose to take away the only thing that made me truly happy?"

Tony was rendered speechless. His heart thudded hard inside of his chest, and his breath increased. _Selfish asshole. _

"I'm sorry." That's all Tony could croak out. "But I love her."

"Thank you. That's all I needed to hear."

**Present day**

"Yes, Tony. You're acting strange, and I don't know what has gotten into you."

"It's…" Tony drawled out. "I feel guilty."

"What for?" Pepper questioned and touched his cheek with her fingertips.

Tony kept his eyes glued to his feet.

"I feel guilty and I'm sorry for being this selfish. I should have thought better."

"What are you talking about, Tony?"

"I talked to Sean yesterday."

"What?!" Pepper jumped and grabbed his chin in her hand before forcing him to look her in the eye.

"He really loved you, Pepper. I think he deserved you more than I do."

"What did he tell you?" The redhead whispered.

"He told me that I…" Tony swallowed hard, unable to continue the conversation. "I took away the best thing he had. Something like that."

Pepper was stunned.

"It's not fair." She heard him mutter before he left her standing there.

**A/N: I know, I KNOW! Angst is not good, but will you forgive me this one time? I promise to make it all better, but you'll have to leave me a review. **

**Cookies and lollipops for those who review!**


	23. Blindsided

Charming Possibilities – Part Twenty-three

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: around 350

Part Twenty-Three

_"It's not fair." _

Pepper stood there and looked at her feet for a few long minutes. She pondered the situation, and wondered why Tony was so affected by what Sean told him. If he truly loved her, he shouldn't have acted that way.

After another few minutes she grabbed the keys from the nearest desk and got inside of her Audi, which was parked in Tony's garage. She headed for the highway and turned on her CD player.

Meanwhile, Tony was in his shower, enjoying the splash of warm water over his tired body. He sighed when he reached for the soap and swore when it slid out of his palm. He was overwhelmed.

"I don't know why this is so hard…" He muttered quietly. "I mean, I'm sorry, but I think Pepper really loves me and wants to be with me." He sighed again.

"His loss is definitely my gain, but why do I feel like my heart has just been ripped out?"

He couldn't find satisfaction in asking questions which couldn't be answered back, so he turned off the water and grabbed a crimson towel from the towel rack.

"I'm going to call her when I won't feel guilty anymore." With that said, he went to trim his goatee.

Pepper glanced at her phone's time and realized it was later than she had expected. She dropped by Target on her way home from Tony's, and did some shopping to alleviate her sad mood. The redhead placed her bags into the car's trunk and got in the car. She yawned a little in her fist and shook her head.

The moon was shining strangely when she got on the highway again. Her clock read 23:01 when some truck lights blindsided her. The whole thing happened too fast for her to understand what happened, but as the truck crashed into her car, her head came in contact with the window at her left, leaving her unconscious. The entire thing seemed surreal afterward…

**A/N: A cliffhanger. Don't hate me guys! Review! **

**P.S. I'm working on the next chapter, just so you know.**


	24. Black Haze

Charming Possibilities – Part Twenty-four

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 1.100

Part Twenty-four

_Tony._

Pepper had no idea why in hell her mind came up with the name of her boss, but suddenly she didn't care. She felt as if she was floating between two worlds right then. Her head hurt like hell and she couldn't feel her left leg. She tried to do something – speak, but words would not come out of her mouth.

Instead she heard a noise and a clang before drifting into unconsciousness again.

The clock on his nightstand read 23:42 when his cell phone rang. He took it from the nightstand and looked at the caller ID. _Pepper. _He wondered why she was calling and decided to press the green button. _Too late._

"Pepper, I-" He began, but was cut off by a voice of a male.

"This is Sean." Tony got up from bed when he realized who it was and especially when he realized that he was calling from her phone. He hoped nothing bad had happened. "Listen… I don't know quite how to tell you, but I think I'll stick with the truth."

"Spit it out." Tony said firmly, a lump forming in his throat.

"Virginia has had an accident."

Tony's knees weakened and he had to sit down on the edge of his bed.

"W-what do you mean? Is she… is she okay?" The superhero babbled, panic overwhelming him.

Sweat began to form on his forehead and neck when he heard Sean sigh.

"You'd better get dressed up and come to Cedars Sinai. I'll talk to you there."

"No… NO! Tell me, please. Is she alright, I need to… I need to know. Please."

"At the moment, no, she's not at all alright."

Sean pressed the end button and waited in silence for news to be heard. Pepper was taken care of immediately, but when he saw how much blood she had lost, panic overwhelmed him. He couldn't lose the woman he loved so deeply, even though he had lost her months ago when that damned superhero stole her heart.

Tony broke the speed record and by the time he arrived at the hospital, Sean was waiting for him outside.

"Nice car you have there, Mr. Iron Stark."

"Cut off the crap, will you?" Tony mumbled and stormed inside. Sean followed him quickly behind.

Sean waited until Tony slumped into a seat and buried his face in his hands.

"Tell me what happened." He ordered quietly.

The standing man leaned against the wall and sighed deeply.

"A truck ran into her car."

"That's…" Tony was at a loss for words for the first time that night, and he swallowed hard, trying to suppress the sob that threatened to escape his throat.

Sean stared at the broken superhero who looked as if he would start crying any time soon. He felt sympathetic and couldn't remember a time when he'd ever felt that way.

"She's a tough person, Stark. I think she can make it."

Tony snorted a little and looked at Sean.

"You have no idea."

**Three hours later…**

"Mr. Williams?" A doctor asked while making his way towards Tony and Sean.

"Yes?" Sean stood up, quickly followed by Tony.

"We need to talk in private." He said and motioned over at Tony.

"No, it's alright. He's a friend of mine."

Tony seemed flabbergasted at that sentence and only moved forward a little.

"Okay, then. The surgery was successful, and we expect full recovery. She is still asleep, but we won't know if she didn't suffer any damage to her brain until she wakes up. Anyway, you can go see her now if you want. And if you don't want to leave her, you can stay there until she wakes up."

Sean nodded and patted Tony's shoulder.

"See. It's going to be alright."

"Thank god." Tony muttered and followed Sean into Pepper's room.

When he saw her his heart started beating again. She looked healthy, except the large bruise on her temple, and she looked like an angel when she slept.

Sean just smiled sadly when he saw how Tony was looking at her. He realized then that Tony Stark really loved her.

"Mr. Stark…" He began. "I'll head home because I'm too tired and I think you'd want a little privacy after all that happened tonight."

Tony stared at the man gratefully. "Thank you." He whispered and shook the other man's hand.

With that said and done, Sean left the room quietly, leaving Tony alone with Pepper. After a meanwhile, Tony took hold of her hand and leaned in to gently brush his lips against her cheek. He fell asleep three minutes after.

When he woke up he realized that Pepper was still asleep. He waited for another few minutes while gently stroking her knuckles with his thumb, and occasionally kissing her palm.

It hit him like a hammer when he realized that her eyes were opened and fixed on his, but somehow, he got the impression that she looked through him.

"Pepper…" He whispered, glad that she had woken up. He chuckled a little before continuing. "You gave me quite a scare."

He waited for her to say something, smile, laugh, anything, but nothing came. She kept staring, looking through him somehow.

"Mr. Stark, what are you doing here?" She finally said. Her voice was slightly hoarse and raspy.

Tony frowned and cupped her cheek.

She shied away from his touch and pressed his hand into the mattress. Tony's heart constricted at those actions, and he realized that something wrong – _very wrong. _

"Where's my husband? Why are you here?" She continued. He was no longer touching her. "How long have I been here? And why, for god's sake were you holding my hand, Mr. Stark?"

"Pepper…" Tony's voice trembled softly. "You don't remember?"

"Do I need to remember something? Is there something wrong with you?"

"No, nothing's wrong with me… it's you Pep. You… you don't remember about… us?"

"What 'us' are you talking about, Mr. Stark? Please call my husband and tell him I haven't managed to cook that dinner he asked for last night, please."

Tony gritted his teeth and stood up, ignoring the sting in his eyes.

"I'm going to call the doctor, right now, Potts." He told her and left.

"What is my boss doing here?" She asked herself and closed her eyes tightly, before blacking out again.

**A/N: Yes, I know, cliffhangers are getting really popular right now, but that's the best I can do. Review if you want a fast update. **


	25. Alcohol Obsession

Charming Possibilities – Part Twenty-five

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 800

A/N: Thanks for your reviews! Hopefully she's going to get her memory back soon enough!

P.S. Thank god for finally admitting that there will be a kiss between Tony and Pepper in Iron Man 2. Read below. Source

**DON'T READ THIS IF YOU'RE AGAINST SPOILERS!**

_Question: There's a real 'Moonlighting' thing going on with your two characters in this film, but the kiss was highly anticipated. How it was finally having that onscreen kiss?_

_Downey: I couldn't get her off me. It was embarrassing._

_Paltrow: It was great because both my husband and his wife were right there._

_Downey: Yeah. She said to me that I didn't know what I was doing, like it didn't feel good and I was like, 'You know what, first of all, we're all friends so what would be creepy was if I was coming off all sexy to you,' and by the way I've done that in movies and it creeps them out. So what am I going to creep you out for? I felt like I was just going to swallow this mike cover for a moment. Despite what she said on set she still thinks about it._

_Paltrow: Oh, God. You're funny._

Part Twenty-five

Tony broke away from his thoughts as soon as the doctor exited Pepper's room.

"Mr. Stark." He said. Tony nodded quickly and went over to him. "I'm afraid Miss Potts has suffered a head trauma and has lost her memory partially. We don't know whether she will recover her memory back or not, but if everything goes right, maybe she will be able to remember something once in a while."

Tony stared at the doctor in shock and disappointment. _This can't be happening. Not now. No…_

"Thank you, doctor." He whispered quietly.

The older man smiled sympathetically at him and left. After a couple of minutes of hating himself for what had happened, Tony walked silently into Pepper's room. He had brought her a bouquet of flowers earlier that morning. She had smiled shyly, but didn't take them. His heart grew even heavier when she told him 'go home, I'm sure you have to upgrade your suit'. He wanted to tell her that no – not a single stupid upgrade would make him leave her, but he remained silent.

Sean didn't show up today. Probably he didn't want to make the situation worse or whatever…

Tony opened the door reluctantly and noticed that she was asleep. Her red hair lay on her pillow, obliging him to do something – touch her, anything… He stood for a few seconds before sighing deeply.

"Pepper…" He whispered and felt warm tears forming in his eyes. "I love you Pepper."

As soon as the tear slipped from his eye, he wiped it with the back of his hand and left the room. It was almost nine pm when he left the hospital with a heavy heart. The road towards his mansion was short and painfully silent. Nothing could have made him feel better in those moments. He needed Pepper, or else, he wouldn't be able to survive.

"Welcome home, sir." Jarvis welcomed him as usual. "May I ask about Miss Potts' condition?"

"No you may not, Jarvis." He replied sadly and threw his jacket onto the back of the sofa.

"I take it she's not feeling well, then."

"No, she's not feeling well." He sighed. "She can't remember about us, can't remember about our… love, she can't… I can't do this."

His chest hurt so badly he had to sit down and bring his knees up to his chest.

"If I can be of any assistance, please ask." The AI said.

Tony just nodded and left to pour himself a drink. He hadn't had a drink since… well, since months ago, and he couldn't remember one time he needed a drink so much.

It hurt a lot – not being able to do something for the one you love.

"I'm strong, I can do this." He whispered as he neared the glass to his lips.

_Don't do it. **But you've lost her. **Don't do it. **If she'll regain her memory back, she won't forgive you. **But I want it so badly… it hurts… please… **No.**_

"I'm so screwed." Tony muttered and smashed the glass onto the floor. It shattered in countless pieces and it reassembled the condition of his heart.

**Review if you want me to end this torture soon enough!**


	26. All The Best

Charming Possibilities – Part Twenty-six

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 1.100

A/N: Wow. I haven't expected so many reviews, but I think I'll have to thank you guys. You're all amazing! And why not – maybe I'll publish this one as a book on my livejournal account as soon as it's done.

Talking about IM2 and about the _kiss, _I think I should add another thing. Remember the plane scene – the smooch scene? Well, it's going to be cut. All of that is going to be cut. Instead of 'give me a smooch for good luck' and 'go get'em boss' and '_you complete me' _it's going to be just a boring scene where he jumps out of the plane and flies into the Stark Expo. I sometimes hate these guys, seriously.

Why Jon Favreau – whyyyy??? Traitor.

Part Twenty-six

"It's really confusing." Pepper told her husband as he took hold of her hand.

"I know it is." He admitted gently. "But you've hit your head pretty badly and you've lost some of your memory. Though, I'm sure it'll all come back to you."

"Please explain to me why my boss keeps visiting me and bringing me flowers and stuff like that?"

Sean sighed and rubbed his temple. It was going to be hard.

"Virginia… Tony Stark isn't your boss." Pepper opened her mouth to ask why, but he shushed her with a finger on her lips which sent shivers throughout his body. "You've been promoted to SI's CEO more than a year ago."

"Wait… what? Am I… Am I the CEO of his company?"

"Yes Virginia. We've been married for less than a year, I don't know exactly for how long." He pushed her bangs out of her eyes and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"You still haven't answered my question." She said as he pulled back.

"Well, you and Mr. Stark… uh… kind of have a relationship."

Pepper's eyes widened in shock… she couldn't remember anything… and it felt really bad.

"What kind of _relationship _are you talking about?"

Sean stroked her cheek with his hand and put on a stern expression.

"You've been with him for a little while now…" He explained quietly.

"I… I can't remember anything." Pepper whispered back, closing her eyes and leaned back into her warm pillows.

"I'd better talk to your doctor and ask him when you'll be ready to go home."

"Okay." She agreed with a small smile.

**Twenty minutes after…**

"We're going home, Ginny." Sean said as he entered the hospital room with a wide grin.

Pepper smiled back, but felt like it was the wrong thing to do especially when she saw Tony Stark emerging into her room, a few steps behind Sean. Her husband looked as if he didn't expect it, so Tony quickly grabbed him by his lapels and shoved him backwards until he fell on his butt.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, huh?" Tony spat angrily at the fallen man.

"What are _you _doing here?" He asked back and quickly got up.

Tony had an inch or so over him, so he didn't bother to straighten his posture.

"You don't have the right to touch her." Tony muttered as he quickly glanced over at Pepper.

"The hell I'm not. She's my wife, idiot!"

Tony laughed in the earnest.

"She is not anymore, you sucker! If you're mind is playing tricks on you, and I'm sure it's not, you'd better remember the papers she signed last week." Tony nodded when he saw his eyes widen. "Yeah, your divorce papers… Don't try to confuse her or something because I might do something that I will regret later."

"I haven't signed those yet, Iron Man."

"Yeah, and if I may, why in hell haven't you signed them just yet?"

There was suddenly a throat being cleared and both man looked towards Pepper's way.

"Excuse me guys, but I'm right here and I can hear what you're saying. Can someone explain to me what divorce are you talking about."

Tony rushed over to her as soon as the last word escaped her mouth. He sat down on the edge of her bed and grabbed her hand in his.

"I know this is confusing you, Pepper. Hell, it's confusing me, but… you and I have been together for a while now, and even if you don't want to think about it, yeah, you cheated on your husband but who cares about that? Just so you know I don't."

Pepper's hold on his hand tightened lightly and she swallowed a little before speaking.

"I'm sorry, Tony, but I can't remember anything."

Tony nodded gently, feeling disappointed, even though he'd been expecting that.

"You will." He said softly and kissed her hand gently.

"Excuse me while I'm glaring at you from over here, Mr. Stark, but I think she is still my wife until I sign those papers."

Tony smirked and got up. Hushing him outside, he whispered.

"I'm making you sign those right now." He grinned and continued. "And right now, you'll be driving me wherever you're living and sign those papers in front of me. If not, well, I'd like you to know I'm carrying with me my new invention, called the Tech Ball which can transform in Iron Man's gauntlet if I put it on my hand."

Sean continued walking without saying anything else.

**Two hours later…**

"Thank you, Mr. Williams. I wish you all the best." Tony said as he unceremoniously exited Sean's apartment and headed for the hospital again.

Fifteen minutes later he arrived at the hospital. Pepper was waiting for him on her bed, wearing some jeans and a grey t-shirt. Tony smiled at the sight, but Pepper looked at him as if she wanted to kill him.

"What was that?" She asked angrily.

"Well, you can now enjoy your life without any obligations, _Miss Potts_."

"You're an asshole, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know. Care to come with me to show you you're real life from now on?"

"I think I will decline your offer, Mr. Stark."

Tony simply chucked, then turned serious and took her hand in his.

"Please Pepper. Try to remember something." He begged silently.

"I can't, Tony. I know it's there, but I can't."

"At least let me take you at my house because if I remember correctly, you are not in a possession of an apartment at the time being."

Pepper hesitated for a few moments before standing up and nodding.

**Once again, thank you for all your reviews and I promise if you review the next chapter will be posted tomorrow!**


	27. Just Like a Rabbit

Charming Possibilities – Part twenty-seven

A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the long delay! I got caught up in the final term exams and couldn't update. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Part twenty-seven

Pepper had been silent the whole time he'd been driving. He began to wonder if she felt uncomfortable.

"How much do you remember?" He asked her reluctantly.

Honestly, he didn't want to know her answer because he was sure she didn't remember anything about the two of them in particular.

"What do you mean?" Her eyes found his for a brief moment, and he refrained.

"You do know about Iron Man, right?" He tried to pay attention to the road, but failed as she wrapped her hand around her waist, as if she was in pain. "Are you feeling okay?"

Pepper smiled sheepishly and said. "I'm just hungry, that's all."

Tony smiled back, though he tried to speed up in order to arrive at home faster.

"And yes, I know about Iron Man. I remember everything to when Sean and I got into a fight about… babies."

"About babies…" Tony echoed.

"Uh-huh."

"Okay…" He trailed off and breathed out a sigh of relief at the sight of his mansion.

Pepper remained silent while Tony parked the car into the garage and went to open the door, but suddenly there was a muffled yell. She looked up and saw Tony biting both his lips, his whole face red. He was pointing towards his leg and suddenly he began jumping up and down like a rabbit.

Pepper got out of the car and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Oh my god… I'm so sorry." She pressed her hands to her mouth and continued to look at him with wide eyes.

"Aw, aw, aw…. Ouch!" He muttered and stood down on an armchair, stroking his injured leg with both his hands.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I was going to get out and you got in the way, and I really didn't want to bump the door into your leg." Pepper babbled and tried to calm down at the same time.

Tony looked up at her with bloodshot eyes.

"You – ah!" He groaned and bit his lower lip again. "I think you broke my leg, Potts!"

"I should call an ambulance." Pepper said quickly and went to retrieve her BlackBerry from her purse.

"No!" Tony yelled and grasped one of her hands in order to stop her.

"I really think I ought to call an ambulance." Tony rolled up his pant leg and grimaced at the redness.

"Tony, it's swollen!" Pepper cried out.

"Relax, Pepper. What I need is a pack of ice cubes. Could you please look for it in my fridge?"

"Of course, Mr. Stark." She whispered in a rush and ran upstairs.

"And no more Mr. Stark! I'm not kidding!" He yelled at her and touched his injured leg with care.

Pepper returned with a pack of ice two minutes later and with a plate containing a sandwich in her other hand.

"I thought you might be hungry after all that happened today." She said and kneeled in front of him, placing the ice pack on his injury. Tony hissed but made no other comment as he took the sandwich with a wolfish grin.

"Thank you, Pepper. Didn't you make one for yourself?" He asked and took a big bite.

"I didn't have time." She replied simply and stood up, having him hold the ice pack. With a little smile she leaned in and kissed his warm cheek before smoothing down his hair. "I'm very sorry for what happened." She explained and kissed his cheek once again.

Tony sighed in contentment, wanting to do more than just that, but figured out it was enough for the time being.

"I know. I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have played the hero and open the door for you."

Pepper smiled sheepishly and said.

"I'm going to make myself a sandwich and I'll take one of the guest rooms. Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

"Just one more thing. Try to remember, please." With that said, she left him standing there alone, munching over his sandwich.

Reviews are welcomed for a faster update! I know, I know. I promised that before, but this time I'll make it happen!


	28. A Burnt Omelet

Charming Possibilities – Part Twenty-eight

A/N: I don't even want to make excuses because they're all pathetic, so I'm leaving you with another chapter instead. How about I get some reviews?

Part twenty-eight

"Good morning, Mr. Stark." Pepper said sweetly as she descended the stairs into the living room.

Tony looked up at her from where he stood on the couch, his leg hoisted on the table in front of him. He gave her a quick smile and studied her appearance.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as she sat down beside him. She turned her body so that she was facing him. "Does it still hurt?"

Tony shrugged. "Not that much now that you're here."

"Right…" Pepper trailed off and looked at his foot. "Are you sure it's not broken or something?"

He looked at Pepper and touched her forearm. "If it was, I'd like to believe that I would be in deep pain right now, Pepper."

Pepper laughed a little. "If you say so… Do you need anything?"

She moved to sit up, but Tony grabbed her wrist. "Where are you going?"

"I was just going to make an omelet. I suppose you haven't eaten anything." She said, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"Why so suspicious?" Tony asked and sat up. "I remember eating a banana and a slice of toast."

"Is that so?" Pepper asked with a raised eyebrow.

Tony nodded and touched the bruise on her temple with his fingertips. She winced at the contact and pulled away.

"I'm sorry…" Tony whispered. "I just…"

Pepper continued to stare at her hands, completely oblivious to the fact that Tony was suffering.

"I'll make that omelet for you." He offered and waited for an answer. When none came, he blinked hard and looked away. "Are you mad at me, Pepper?"

The redhead looked at him with her big, blue eyes that always mesmerized him. "Is there something you won't tell me, Tony?"

_Okay, I ask her if she's mad at me and I get ignored completely. _

"No. Yes. Maybe…" Tony babbled and scratched at his unruly hair. "Mostly it's just about you and me."

Pepper's eyes softened and she sighed sadly. "Is there an 'us', Tony?"

The quiet sound of Pepper's voice made Tony realize that she didn't believe his words. Why would she?

Tony shrugged and sighed himself. "It used to be."

The redhead looked at him and saw how hurt he truly was. Maybe he wasn't lying to her after all.

"How do I even know if what you say is true?" She asked quietly.

Tony smiled a little and moved closer to her on the couch. "I would like to show you how." He whispered and cupped her cheek in his left hand.

To his surprise she hadn't pulled away. Not yet.

He moved closer to her until his forehead was resting lightly against hers. For a few seconds he kept his eyes opened only to gauge her reaction. Would she shy away? Would she slap him? Or worse… Would she leave him if he tried to kiss her?

"I'm just trying to make you remember." He whispered quietly before touching his lips to hers.

The mere touch of his lips against hers sent a jolt through Pepper, who pulled away suddenly, eyes downcast. Tony, on the other hand tried not to scream.

"Tony… I…"

"I understand, Pepper." He said bitterly and sat up, completely ignoring the dull ache in his foot as he walked into the kitchen. He pulled out a cooking pot out of one of the boards and lit the fire.

With the precision of a genius inventor, Tony managed to cook a half burnt omelet. Looking up at the ceiling he instructed Jarvis to announce Pepper that her breakfast was ready and waiting for her in the kitchen. He made a quick exit through the hallway and took the elevator which lead to his workshop. He couldn't deal with the look on Pepper's face just yet.

He'd give her half a day, or maybe more. If she wanted to talk to him he'd be in the basement.

**TBC**


	29. Happiness is only for beginners

Charming Possibilities – Part twenty-nine

A/N: Oh, wow. Has it been really that much since my last update? Sorry, guys. I promise I will finish this story for you.

Part twenty-nine

It was half past twelve in the morning and Tony had had enough. Three months had passed since the accident and much to his growing frustration, Pepper was still, well – Pepper. She hadn't remembered one thing about their relationship and that made him lose his sanity with each passing day.

Not to mention, she was looking out for an apartment to rent it since she thought it would be _rude_to take advantage of _Mr.__Stark_and his _hospitality._Fuck that. What? Did she really think he would let her leave so easily?

There was no way Tony would ever let her out of his sight again.

Sighing deeply, Tony pushed away from his workstation half-heartedly and made his way upstairs. The kitchen was calling to him as his stomach growled hungrily. He reached out to open the fridge and as he did so, he heard a small shuffling noise behind him. Turning around in the darkness, he noticed a half-asleep Pepper making her way towards the fridge as well. He put on a fake smile and turned towards her.

"Are you hungry, Pepper?" He asked politely, but inside he was literally itching to make some sort of contact with her.

The redhead rubbed at her right eye and leaned against the island, nodding through a small yawn. Tony's heart grew bitter and he wished he could do something to help her get her memory back. The regular visits to the doctor didn't really help as his answer would always be the same – _she__still__needs__time._

But how much time? His world was slowly but securely falling apart as the days passed without seeing her smile at him. Her current situation was tearing him and his heart apart and he had no solution to fix it, whatever it was. Pretty ironic, huh? Being a genius, but not being able to fix something as simple as the human brain can be.

Yeah, ironic…

He fixed her a peanut-butter sandwich and handed it to her as he began to chew on his. Setting his plate down, Tony pulled out a chair and sat down, trying hard not to look over at her and see her go back to her room. Pepper noticed the tension in his movements and pulled out a chair as well, still looking at him, observing how it affected him.

"Can I join you?" She asked softly and her heart skipped a beat when she saw his beaming smile.

"Yeah. Yes, sure. I'd love that." Tony replied as he looked at her, still smiling.

Pepper began eating her own sandwich as Tony finished his own, though she couldn't help but notice that he hadn't sat up and left like she supposed he would. Instead, he simply stood there and watched her as she ate in silence.

After a while, the almost-deafening silence had Pepper clear her throat as she stood up, noticing how his eyes had widened. She placed her plate in the sink and turned to him, still a little sleepy.

"Thank you for the midnight snack, Mr. Stark." She said and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Tony to gather the small bits of his heart from the floor. _Mr.__Stark__… __Really,__Pepper?__Really?__How__can__you__do__this__to__me?_

Tony closed his eyes and sighed shakily, pressing his forehead into the crook of his arm as he rested against the table, trying to hold on onto the memory of their lost love.

In the morning, Tony woke up in his bed and scrunched his nose at the smell radiating off his clothes. Cursing under his breath, he stood up and began undressing on his way towards his bathroom. The warmth of the water as it splashed over him helped warming him up, if only just for a few brief minutes. He took some time to shave off his stubble and to brush his teeth. After finishing his ritual, he looked at himself in the mirror and passed a hand through his damp hair. He looked _tired._

He felt tired and most of all, he felt worthless.

Pepper wasn't going to remember their love ever again. Letting his eyes fall downcast, he succumbed to helpless sobs. Tightening his hand around the towel, he wiped the bitter tears that rolled down his clean cheeks and closed his eyes.

Later that evening, Tony was sitting on the couch in the living room, trying to watch a lame documentary about extinct birds. The lights were dimmed and the only sounds in the house were the sounds coming from the home cinema and the fireplace.

Suddenly, Tony's eyes caught Pepper's frame descending the stairs with her laptop. He sat up a little and relaxed back against the back of the couch as he watched her walk over to him.

"I've been meaning to show you something for a while." Pepper said as she walked around the table to sit next to him with her laptop on her lap.

The website was showing some thumbnails of some sort of an apartment and as Tony finally registered the fact that, yes, she was indeed very keen on moving out, his heart froze and he felt tears start to form at the corners of his eyes. He couldn't speak because he was afraid that if he did so, his voice would break.

But Pepper didn't notice his mood as she started to click on various pictures.

"This is a nice apartment I've found last week. It's in Downtown."

Tony simply swallowed and tightened his jaw.

"I thought I had made it pretty clear that you're welcomed to stay here for as long as you want." He finally said after a few minutes.

Pepper turned a little and looked at him, noticing his anger boil deep beneath his skin, but she kept her tone casual.

"This is your house, Tony, and as much as I enjoy staying here, I need my own personal space."

Tony closed his eyes and sighed.

"Pepper, you had an accident and you're still recovering. What if, by the time you've moved in, you get back your memory? Huh?"

"And what if I don't?" She countered quickly, standing up and taking her laptop with her.

"Then I won't keep you from doing whatever you need to be happy." Tony whispered and sat up, turning off the TV.

Pepper looked at him and nodded, leaving him alone with his own thoughts. Unfortunately for both of them, those thoughts were aimed towards a bottle of whiskey.

Review please!


	30. A New Beginning

Charming Possibilities – Part Thirty

Part Thirty

"I just got off the phone with Michael Bloomberg." Natasha said as she tried to make her way into the SI's lobby without spilling Tony's favorite Starbucks coffee.

"He's really upset because you didn't honor his invitation to his ball last week. No. Yes… I know that you have been busy, Mr. Stark, but I had warned you that your image will be affected by this."

Natasha pressed the button for the fifth level of the building and sighed as Tony kept talking on the other end of the line.

"I'll be in your office in two." She said and hung up, leaning against one side of the elevator as it began ascending.

As soon as the elevator stopped, Natasha sped off into Tony's office, determined to scold him. On the other hand, Tony was preoccupied with some recent press articles about Pepper's apparent illness. The redhead closed the door behind her and placed his Caramel Latte on the desk in front of him, smiling at him knowingly.

"You should really try to get on with work now that you've taken back your old position, Mr. Stark."

Tony didn't bother looking up at her. He grabbed the coffee and tapped the end of his pen against the desk.

"And you're here for…"

"Director Fury has asked me to bring you to New York as soon as possible. We're putting on a team of superheroes and he'd like to talk to you about it."

"Ah." Tony replied nonchalantly while taking a sip from the coffee container. He backed off his lips as he felt the tip of his tongue getting burnt.

Natasha watched him impatiently and sighed.

"Listen, _Stark._I'm here only because Fury told me so. I'm not going to put up with your antics. Either you give me a straight answer about flying off with me to New York, or I'll drag you there myself."

This time, Tony looked up at her and raised an eyebrow.

"I never quite pictured you this feisty, Miss Romanoff." He admitted with a fake smirk. "Though, I must admit that I would gladly let you drag me there because there is no way that I'll even consider leaving Pepper alone right now when she needs me the most."

Natasha smiled sadly at him and went around the desk, placing her hand on the back of his chair, spinning him around so that he would face her. Tony's surprised expression left her quite amused, but then again, she would never admit she found him attractive.

"It will take Miss Potts years to heal, Mr. Stark. You and I both know that. Why can't you just accept that she doesn't need you anymore? She's a tough woman and she can handle everything by herself."

Tony blinked up at her and let his gaze fall down to the coffee container that was still resting on his desk.

"Okay. Let's get this show on the road." Tony said and stood up, grabbing his coffee. He smiled at her and placed his hand on her lower back, leading her towards the door.

"Make the arrangements for the jet to be ready in three hours. I need to pack a few things myself, so I'll meet you there."

Natasha nodded and stroked his arm, revealing in the feel of his muscles before she left.

Tony stood there for five minutes, trying to mentally convince himself that it was better for both of them to spend some time apart. Maybe that way, she would actually remember something.

Half an hour later, Tony pulled his car into the parking space in front of his house entrance and walked inside with his hands in his pockets. He noticed Pepper making a list of something on the living room couch. Curiosity got better of him, so he walked over to her with a small, yet full of pain smile, trying to see what she was writing down on a piece of paper.

"How was work?" Pepper asked softly as she took in his appearance.

Tony merely shrugged. "As usual, I guess. How's moving out getting along?" He asked, trying a casual tone, but his choked voice told her different.

"It's getting along nicely. I've managed to catch up with my interior designer and she said that the whole place would be done by the end of the month."

Tony blinked at her and swallowed hard. "That's… two weeks."

Pepper did a check-up on her list and nodded. "Yes, Tony. You can come see it when it's done."

The superhero tightened his jaw and reached out to touch her shoulder gently. At the feel of his fingertips on her shoulder, Pepper looked up and saw that his eyes had turned dark. Feeling a little scared, she laid down the papers and looked at him questioningly.

"Natasha and I have some business in New York. I'll be back by the end of the week." Tony whispered and held her gaze, to which Pepper responded with cold indifference.

"All right. I have Jarvis, so don't worry about me."

At that, Tony retracted his hand and stuck it back into his pocket before silently walking upstairs.

An hour later, Tony walked back downstairs with a small bag containing some of his stuff. On his way out, he didn't bother turning towards Pepper and say goodbye because her cold attitude towards him had him feel really dejected. He went out to his car, threw the bag in the backseat and sped off to the airport where Natasha was waiting for him.

After they took off, Natasha unbuckled herself from her seat and walked towards the bar, pouring herself some vodka.

"Do you want one?" She asked her 'boss' in a weird conversational tone.

Tony was just staring out the small window when he heard her question and he nodded, needing some final relief after a long nerve-wrecking day.

It could have been hours or simple moments since she started talking about something entirely else aside business, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. His mind was entirely preoccupied with, well… Pepper.

The woman he needed the most was probably packing her clothes right then, keen on leaving everything behind her and move on. Why shouldn't he be doing the same thing? Why should he run himself wrecked until she would remember about them? _Whywhywhy?_

Why did it have to be so damn complicated?

A/N: Don't forget to read the previous chapter! Sorry once again for not updating for like a year and a half. I'm so sorry. X_x


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